Surviving Life!
by CiZiwejes
Summary: Chaps23 n 24 uploaded-final chap.Sanzo-ikkou embarked on a mission to save a baby and his mother.But first they have to deal with the baby and another Hakkai and Goku.Hakkai/OC.Please read and review ^o^!!COMPLETED!!!
1. The attack!

Disclaimer: I do not own the character of Saiyuki. The characters belong to Minekura-san.  
Chapter 1  
  
Sanzo pointed his shoureiju around, scanning the area for any surviving youkai. Clear. He put his gun down, assuring himself that they had terminate all the youkai.  
  
Hakkai looked around. There was no trace of any living youkai. He turned to his back, to his teammates.  
  
"That's one hell of a fight!" Gojyo stroked his red crimson hair and yawned.  
  
Hakkai sweat dropped. He slapped his head in disbelief.  
  
"I guess everyone's all right ne?" a smile appeared on the brunette's lips. A little white dragon came flying and landed on his shoulder. The dragon licked his master's cheek and cooed softly. Hakkai patted the latter head affectionately in return.  
  
"We better move on with our journey, the next town is still a day ahead," he suggested. He looked at his pet with a warm smile. "Can you transform now?" he asked.  
  
"Kyu" the dragon cooed and flew onto the ground. A moment later, the dragon gleamed in a white light and transformed into a green jeep.  
  
Hakkai hopped in the driver seat. Followed by Sanzo who settled down beside him in the passenger seat.  
  
"We better hurry, or I'll die listening to the saru's whines of food," Gojyo climbed into the backseat. "He won't last long with an empty stomach, eh saru?" he looked around and spotted the saru he mentioned, a boy with spiky brown hair and a pair of golden eyes, standing on the ground behind the jeep.  
  
The boy startled and looked to the elder red haired. "Uh.what?" he asked blankly.  
  
Hakkai looked at the rear-view mirror on the windshield, to the image of the boy. The boy was staring blankly at Gojyo. 'Weird, Goku doesn't seem to be himself'.  
  
"Doujibou desu ka, Goku?" Hakkai asked out of concern. He turned to his back and looked at Goku, who was now climbing into the backseat.  
  
Goku looked at Hakkai, golden eyes of his met Hakkai's emerald. He was sweating all over the face, and he's trembling severely.  
  
"Goku?" Hakkai called out, his voice was getting softer.  
  
Hakkai's sudden change in his voice aroused attention from the monk beside him. The monk, who has the hair of sunshine's gold, glanced at Goku from the corner of his amethyst eyes.  
  
"Oi! Saru, you are too hungry that you don't have the strength to talk?" Gojyo teased Goku and landed a punch on the boy's head. Goku didn't even react to that, which was abnormal for him. Gojyo gaped at Goku with wide eyes. 'If the saru didn't yell back and called him red haired cockroach, then it's not a good sign'.  
  
"Goku?!" the three elders of the group yelled alarmingly when Goku tripped over and fell unconscious on the floor of the jeep. He fell with a loud thud, even Gojyo didn't manage to stop him from falling. Hakkai jumped to the backseat and kneeled beside Goku.  
  
"What happened?" Gojyo asked. He kneeled down beside Hakkai. He looked down at Goku. The boy's face was blue pale.  
  
Hakkai raised Goku's head and placed it on his lap. His palm wandered on Goku's forehead. The heat of the child's forehead burned his palm, making him yanked his hand off.  
  
"He was burning up with fever," Hakkai could not understand it.  
  
"How could that be? He was fine a moment ago" Gojyo voiced out Hakkai's thought.  
  
Sanzo looked at the boy. He was trying to recall something, which happened during the fight.  
  
"Argh!!" the saru's sudden scream interrupted Sanzo's aim.  
  
"Oi! Saru, don't get too loud" Sanzo warned and shot a youkai who was darting toward him.  
  
"Weird, but the fever was burning him fast" Hakkai lifted Goku from the floor. The boy was now trembling hard in his arm and sweating all over from head to toe. Goku growled and groaned in his state of unconsciousness, which seem to look as if he's having a terrible nightmare in his sleep.  
  
"Ch" Sanzo has his own way of expressing his concern. He glanced at Goku, wrapped in Hakkai's pampering arm and noticed something. There was a trickle of blood running down from Goku's sleeve.  
  
Sanzo stood up and reached out for Goku's arm, much to Hakkai's surprise. The monk tore the boy's sleeve, revealing a gash on Goku's slender arm. Hakkai and Gojyo stood motionless. The wound was severe and it was indeed got infected judging by the color of red on Goku's arm.  
  
"He's poisoned" Hakkai was talking based on his experience of treating his fellow comrades during their journey to the west. He looked around on the ground, searching the area for any source of the poison. A sword, what was last left of the youkai leader, the one Goku fought with, attracted him. The sword was much different than the one the other youkai used. Along the blade was stained with green fluid. By the look of it, Hakkai was sure it was a poison and judging on the color, it was a deadly poison.  
  
"K'so" Sanzo cursed beneath his breath.  
  
"Gojyo" Hakkai called out for the red haired. "Take care of him" he handed Goku to the half-breed, leaving him to assist on the young heretic. Hakkai quickly jumped to the driver's seat and switched on the ignition switch.  
  
"How far is the nearest town?" Sanzo asked as he settled himself back to his seat.  
  
"We'll reach there."Hakkai stopped, calculating perhaps. "By nightfall" he continued. But then, he was hoping that they would reach there sooner, because Goku wouldn't last that long with that poison streaming fast in his body. The poison entered Goku's vein from the wound in his left arm. And to Hakkai, who has a very good knowledge in medical field, he knew well that the poison would flow faster to the heart than it would if the wound was to be at the right arm.  
  
Sanzo looked at Goku, the boy was trembling harder than he was before and the boy's skin grew white pale as if his blood was drained off. "Darn!" he cursed at the tip of his tongue and hardly let it out.  
  
"Harkuryu, please speed off, we need to get Goku to the town before nightfall" Hakkai patted the steering wheel.  
  
"Kyu!" Harkuryu cooed and the jeep speed to its limit, sending the passengers on board to dash backwards.  
  
"Oi Goku!" Gojyo was stripping off the bandana that he wore around his head and used it to bandage Goku's wound. He stroked the boy's hair, feeling the sweat soaking the brown hair to its root. "Hold on!" he swallowed the word down to his throat. He's not even sure if Goku could hold on any longer, considering on the size of his body that was the size of a nine year old. May be he's saying it to make himself stop worrying.  
  
Gojyo looked over to Hakkai.  
  
"Hakkai! Can you at least heal the wound?" Gojyo glanced back to Goku. The boy's head on his lap.  
  
"I'm afraid I can't. I need to keep the wound so the doctor would know what kind of poison he got infected with" Hakkai explained. He looked at the rear-view mirror, catching a glimpse of Gojyo trying to assure Goku, who was now rambling in his state of unconsciousness.  
  
Gojyo caressed Goku's head, just to find the boy's temperature was sky-high.  
  
"Hakkai, he's getting so damn hot!" Gojyo's tone increased as if he's getting mad of himself. "What should I do?"  
  
"Ano.." Hakkai's mind was all mixed up. He could not even think straight anymore. "Take his cloth off and soak his body with water" he answered back, not even aware if he was saying the right thing or the otherwise.  
  
"I think there's some water left in the container back there" said Hakkai, his eyes on the road, his mind on Goku. 'We need to reach the village before sunfall or Goku will die'.  
  
Gojyo quickly got the container. He took off Goku's shirt and poured the water all over Goku's body.  
  
"Argh!!" Goku screamed in agony as the pain overtook him by sudden. He clutched his head in his arms.  
  
Sanzo turned his head over his shoulder. Goku is struggling in his seem- like-a-sleep state, both hands clutching to his head and he's screaming out of his lungs.  
  
"Shit! The poison has flooded his system, it's doing it's damn work" Hakkai almost lost control of the steering wheel by Goku's howl of pain. The howl seemed to pull Hakkai's heart out of its place.  
  
"Oi Gojyo!" Sanzo's voice snapped Hakkai's mind out from his anxiety. Sanzo had jump from the frontseat to the backseat, setting himself to kneel beside Goku. "Hold yourself!" Sanzo shook Gojyo's shoulder, which was now trembling uncontrollably.  
  
Gojyo looked at Sanzo, his eyes showed emptiness. 'We are going to lost Goku'.  
  
"Oi! Two sick people are the last thing I need right now, snapped out of it!" Sanzo scolded the red haired. "Daydreaming and you'll die" he warned, pointing his Smith and Wesson to Gojyo's forehead.  
  
Gojyo smirked. He slowly moved the gun away from his head. 'The monk won't let them die easily unless it's by his own bullet'. He looked at Goku. 'Especially the saru'.  
  
"Goku, I swear if you survived this, I'll give you my lunch" Gojyo lifted Goku's head and wrapped it with his arms. He pulled Goku to his chest, hugging that boy's head as if preventing it from exploding due the pain.  
  
Sanzo kept his shoureiju back inside his robe.  
  
Miraculously, Goku eased. The shivers started to slow down a bit, not all, but a bit. Enough to make the others sighed with relief.  
  
"You must keep your promise kappa" a weak voice came under Gojyo's arm. Gojyo loosened his grip and stared at the boy's face blankly.  
  
The boy's golden eyes were fix at his face. Gojyo could see the heat that burned the little guy inside out.  
  
"Baka" Gojyo smiled. "Sure, make sure you survive this or else you won't get a bite". 'Huh! I'm not even sure if I could eat anything if the boy was not around'.  
  
"Sanzo."Goku called out.  
  
Sanzo didn't even bother to look. 'That face.ch!'  
  
"Nanda?" Sanzo snapped back.  
  
"Gomen.I always got into our way" Goku was getting delirious; he was starting to lose consciousness again. His eyelids were getting heavier.  
  
"Baka!" Sanzo muttered. "Urusai saru and rest!" scolding was his best way of showing his concern.  
  
Goku closed his eyes and sunk his face onto Gojyo's chest, as if looking for protection. It's an irony due to the fact that the red haired was the one who kept fighting and hitting him.  
  
"Ch!" Sanzo pulled out a blanket and tucked the boy to sleep. Gojyo smirked at Sanzo's act of concern and gained himself a whack on the head by Sanzo's infamous harisen.  
  
Gojyo retreated his eyes from the monk deadly glare, promising death for another smirk.  
  
"Ma..ma..Sanzo, this is not the time" Hakkai smiled helplessly. He sweat dropped at the sight. 'Darn, still a long way to the town, we are not even halfway yet'. The red orb was starting to sank at the west.  
  
Hakkai didn't need to look at Goku's physical condition to know that the boy was getting worst. He could hear it. Goku's breath heaved with pain; it's getting heavier and harsher, almost like there's something stuck in the middle of his airway. Goku was breathing through both air cavities, nasal and aural. He's gasping for air to breath. The boy's chest heaved up and down hastily. In another word, Goku was barely breathing.  
  
'If we did reach the town in time, would they have the antidote?' Hakkai steered the steering wheel to the left. Sanzo was back beside him.  
  
"How long you think he would last?" Sanzo consulted for his opinion, which he usually did when any of them got injured.  
  
Hakkai glanced back for a while.  
  
"I don't know what poison infected him" Hakkai fixed his eyes back to the road. "But it sure act fast" He was trying to avoid answering to Sanzo's question.  
  
"Hakkai!"Sanzo snapped back. "How long?" he repeated.  
  
"Tonight, can be less but no more" Hakkai answered at the lowest point of his voice. 'I can't do anything to help Goku, a healer am I'. Hakkai sneered to himself. Sometime he just hates being the only person in the group to have healing power and medical knowledge.  
  
Sanzo fell silent at the answer. "That saru is too stupid to die like this" he said.  
  
Hakkai looked at Sanzo. There's a sound of hope in that monk's voice. 'May be he knew Goku better than any of us did'. Hakkai smiled quietly. 'May be Goku would survive this after all'.  
  
"Kyu!!" suddenly Harkuryu cooed and it was followed by a loud bang. The jeep went crazy. It swerved to the right and to the left madly before Hakkai stepped on the brake and stopped the jeep in time, right before it could crash into a tree.  
  
"Doujibou desu ka, minna-san?" Hakkai panted, nervously. He glanced at Sanzo and Gojyo, both of them startled. Goku's still in Gojyo's protective arms. 'Thank God they are okay'.  
  
Sanzo and Hakkai leaped out from the jeep and looked for the cause of its going mad.  
  
"The tire burst" Hakkai announced, he sounded disappointed at the sight of a flat tire.  
  
"Kyu." Hakuryu moaned. Hakkai patted the hud, reassuring. Now he got two sick person on board, first Goku and now Harkuryu.  
  
"Gojyo, bring Goku down, I need to heal Harkuryu" Hakkai ordered. Gojyo enveloped the boy in his arms and jumped down from the jeep, immediately before Harkuryu turned into its dragon's form.  
  
Harkuryu flew and took its place on Hakkai's shoulder. He licked his right feet which was now covered with blood. Hakkai healed the wound by using hi ki-beam. Slowly, the wound on the poor dragon's feet closed, not leaving even a single bloodstain.  
  
Sanzo glanced at the west, the sun already set down. The afterglow filled the sky, but then slowly fading away. Darkness of nightfall started to form.  
  
Goku choose that time to give away a heart-rending cry.  
  
Hakkai immediately got to Goku's aid. He checked the boy's pulse. The pulse was getting slower at pace. Goku was soaked with sweat and his body was terribly pale, except for the flush of fever on his cheeks.  
  
Hakkai looked at Harkuryu, the dragon was not any better. "We can't travel with Harkuryu condition like this" he exclaimed.  
  
"If we remain this way, we are going to lose Goku" Gojyo protested. Goku was now hot like fire.  
  
"Then, we walked!" Sanzo made the decision. He started walking right after the words came out his mouth.  
  
Gojyo positioned Goku on his back. He carried the boy on his back and started following Sanzo, who was now speeding his way toward the west. If they want to save Goku, whatever the way is, they need to do it now.  
  
Things were getting quiet, no sounds escaped from their mouths except for Goku's gasps for air.  
  
'Shit! It's impossible to reach the town in time by foot'. Sanzo tried to lit his cigarette but 'damn it' he couldn't even hold the lighter right. His hands were trembling. The sound of Goku's painful breath was indeed irritating and annoying.  
  
Hakkai didn't like the silence that fell upon them. He was so used to the patterned fights of Goku and Gojyo, their bickering, Goku whining for food, Sanzo's harisen whacking the heads of the other two and his gun blasted off, that he didn't like it when they don't happen. 'Goku, we already missed you'. Hakkai sped his way. Now he wished he could fly.  
  
'Hang on saru. Don't die on me!' Gojyo tightened his grip on Goku's body as the boy trembled so hard that he couldn't hold him right. He could feel Goku's chest panting heavily behind him.  
  
"Crack!" suddenly a cracking sound put them into a sudden halt. Sanzo pointed his gun to the direction of the noise.  
  
'A fight is the last thing we need, Goku can't survive another attack'. Hakkai was forming a ki-ball in between his fingers. He stood in front of Gojyo, protecting the wounded in the red haired arms.  
  
They waited nervously as a sound of footsteps advancing toward them. It came from their right, from a bush of berries. Silent! Only the sound of their heartbeats could be heard. 


	2. The First Encounter

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Saiyuki characters. All the characters belong to Sensei Minekura-san. 

Ayie: Arigatou for those who had review chapter one ^_^. Gomen for leaving the story at its climax and keeping the suspense in the air..hi..hi..please correct me if I'm wrong with any of the Japanese spelling. I'm going to upload the next chapter very soon….

Chapter 2: The first encounter 

            "Ouch!" a tiny voice popped out along with a tiny figure stumbling down over the berry bush. A boy, almost the same size as Goku, laid on the ground. He was struggling to strip himself off the branches that stuck to his shirt. He was able to free himself a moment later. 

Sanzo drew away his Smith and Wesson and Hakkai let go off his ki-ball in a tiny puff. They stared at the boy in astonishment. The boy was standing on one foot, tiptoeing to free his slippers from the last branch. 

When he finally free from any branches, the boy stood motionless. He gazed back to the three bishounens. He looked at the men blankly and suddenly gave the biggest grin, the grin that Goku used to display on his face when he's blushing. The boy's red eyes gleamed in the moonlight. A moment later, they realized that the boy had a hair of crimson red.

'A taboo child'. Gojyo stared confusedly. 'Just like me'. 

"Are you lost?" the boy asked. Sanzo, Hakkai and Gojyo changed glances. Hakkai took a step toward the boy. He patted the boy's shoulder and kneeled down, facing the boy face to face.

"What are you doing here?" asked Hakkai. There's comfort in his emerald eyes. He might be so damn worried of Goku, but his brotherly instinct wouldn't allow him to ignore the child in front of him.

"Iya!" the boy answered, still smiling. "I was collecting firewood". He held out what he was holding in his arms, a bundle of sticks. 

Hakkai smiled. "Are you alone?"

The boy nodded. His eyes now fixed on Goku. He pointed his index finger to Goku. "Him? Is he wounded?"

Hakkai looked at Goku. "Hai! Do you know where we can get a healer?"

Without answering the question, the boy walked toward Gojyo and stopped in front of him. Staring at the boy on Gojyo's back. Gojyo displayed a protective movement, tightening his grip on Goku. The boy looked at Gojyo and back to Goku.  His eyes fixed on Goku bandaged arm. His eyebrows connected in horror. "Do you meet the bad youkais on the way here?"

Sanzo, Hakkai and Gojyo astounded. 'How was the hell this kid knew?'

"Hai!" Gojyo nodded. 

"He was poisoned, looked like he needs the antidote fast!" the boy exclaimed. He grabbed Gojyo's arm, much to the latter alarmed. "Come with me!" he pulled Gojyo's arm to the direction from where he came from. Gojyo startled, anytime he could lose his grip on Goku and Goku would fall down to the ground. 

"Sanzo?" Hakkai looked at Sanzo, waiting for the monk's decision. 

"Whatever you want," Sanzo replied, and that's mean 'yes'.

Hakkai hold the boy's arm. "Lead the way" and they started running through the woods, following the kid to an unknown place.

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            Hakkai looked at the boy, who was now speeding in front of them. His movement was so swift and fast that he seemed as if he's moving on air. They have to sped to the highest limit to keep pace with him. 

            'Whoever this boy is, he knew that Goku was dying'. Hakkai looked at the boy, so energetic, so full of spirit, just as genki as Goku.

            Finally, they reached a campfire spot. Nobody was there. The boy looked around. He seemed to be looking for somebody.  They could hear the sound of a river not far from there.

            "Aiko!" the boy called out to the woods. "I bring four damsels in distress here!" he said, almost shouting out of his lungs.

            "Damsels?" the voice almost came out together from the elders' mouth. There's a vein popping out on Sanzo's forehead. He brought out his paper fan. 

            "Ne…Ne…Sanzo" Hakkai smiled nervously. He held down the harisen from reaching the boy's head. He knew what would happen when Sanzo was holding a paper fan in his hand and a vein popped out on his forehead. The boy would surely suffer a major head bumps.

         "Another saru?" Gojyo smirked. 

"Damsels?" there's a voice coming out of nowhere. A female's voice. A figure came out from the dark. The figure halted in front of them, speechless.

Sanzo, Gojyo and Hakkai startled at the sight of that figure. A slim, slender figure. Her hair was raven black and was tied up in a braid, hanging limply on her right shoulder. A pair of sapphire blue eyes was fix at them. Her lips that shamed the color pink of a peach seemed to move, but no voice came out in between the lips. 

'Human!'. The men startled. 

The girl advanced toward the red haired boy. She stopped in front of him and knocked the boy's head with her fist. 

"Ittai! Nande sun dai yo?" the boy clutched his aching head. 

The other men sweat dropped, not expecting that to happen.

'My, she has the nerve of Sanzo's'. Hakkai smiled edgily. 

"That's not damsel, kono baka yaro" the girl scolded the boy.

"Mou kecchi.." the boy pouted. "You were the one who told me that all the people in trouble was the damsels" the boy rubbed his head, which was now starting to form a bump. 

The girl sweat dropped. She looked toward the unexpected guests and smiled sincerely. "Gomen nasai".

'Aha! The same gentility as Hakkai's'. Gojyo smiled back. His perverted nature made him stared at the girl's figure. So beautiful. He snapped back into reality when Hakkai coughed alarmingly. 

" I found them when I was collecting firewood" explained the boy. He dropped the bundle of sticks he was holding near the fireplace. "One of them got wounded severely and was dying" he then grabbed the girl's arm and pulled her toward Gojyo. 

The girl looked over Gojyo's shoulder, to the face of groaning Goku. She put her hand on Goku's forehead, absorbing the heat from the boy's body. She yanked her hand away when it touched the golden diadem, which now was burning. The heat showed that Goku was suffering high fever. 

Hakkai moved closer to the girl. "He's being poisoned" he explained briefly. 

Goku cried again, snatching the hearts of all of them. He was in lot of pain and his small body was struggling hard to fight it. The girl touched Goku's cheek and the boy seemed to ease.

"Aiko" the red haired boy tugged at the girl's arm. The girl looked down. There was a pleading look on that boy's face. His red eyes were forming pools of tears, ready to leak at any time. "Save him…please.." he pleaded.

The girl patted the boy's head and smiled reassuringly. She looked at Gojyo. "Please put him down". Gojyo slowly put Goku down on the ground and the girl kneeled beside the limp body. She checked the kid's injury and counted his pulse.

"Kazo!" the girl called out. The red haired boy stood beside her. He put on listening ears. "Do you remember about the flower I've told you before?" she asked, looking at the boy's face.

The boy nodded. "Blue flower with red thorns"

"That's the cure, go and get some for me" she ordered and as soon as their eyes blinked, the boy disappeared into the darkness of the wood. 

"Is it okay to let him go by himself?" Gojyo looked up to the girl before turning his glance toward the woods the boy just went in. The girl exchanged glances with Gojyo and then nodded. 

"He'll be fine" she replied, her hand moved deftly on Goku's head. She lifted the boy's head and placed it on her lap.  Gojyo was still unsure about that.

'Blue flower… red thorns?'. Sanzo was picking up something from his childhood. He looked at the girl suspiciously. "The flower was a poisonous one…what are you going to do with it?" he asked, pointing his loaded shoureiju to the girl. He remembered once, his master, Komyou Sanzo, used to warn him not to go near the bushes of red flower with thorns, which grew wildly around the Chang-an temple. It's poisonous, he said. He was ready to pull the trigger.

The girl turned to the monk. No fear was shown in her eyes; only a thin smile appeared, showing calmness. "I know you're worried about him so much" the girl snapped back. She looked back at Goku. "If I'm the one on your feet, I would probably did the same".

Sanzo startled. 'What she's trying to say?'.

"You would be ready to kill anyone you think would threatened him" she continued, her hand gently stroking the hair of the young heretic laid in front of her. 

"Sanzo.." Hakkai gently lowered the gun down. "We are worried as much as you are" he whispered. Hakkai looked at the girl. 

"Aiko-san, is it true, the flower was poisonous?" Hakkai asked for confirmation.

"Hai!" she answered confidently, no dread. 

"Nani?! Are you trying to kill him?" Gojyo was in rage. He could burst anytime. He was in no mood of a joke if that's the girl was trying to do. 'Why in the hell we trusted that boy in the first place? But the look….'

"You must loved this little guy so much" the girl muttered, a curl in her lips. 'Damn it! How can she stays calm when we were threatening to kill her?'

"Don't worry, I have no intention of killing you guys, even if you are a Sanzo" the girl assured them with a smile. "Even if I'm a youkai, I don't have the appetite of eating your flesh for immortality" 

"Your flesh would taste bitter" she continued with a sneer. The latter statement resulted with a big vein popped on Sanzo's forehead and followed by a giggle from Gojyo. Sanzo turned the gun's aim toward Gojyo. In a fraction of a second, a bullet was shot and it missed Gojyo's left cheek by inches. 

Gojyo sweat dropped. He raised his hands in surrender. Hakkai smiled nervously.

"This poison was a strong one, no cure except we used a much weaker poison to fight it" the girl explained. She didn't seem to be disturbed by the chaos occurred in front of her eyes. She stroked Goku's face as if he was her own. Goku stirred a bit at her movement. 

"His life depends on his will to survive" the girl finished her words when Goku moaned deeply in his sleep. He clung to the girl's hand on his face as a convulsion occurred. He's degenerating. 

Hakkai suddenly remembered something. 'The boy!'. "If it really was poisonous, how about the boy? Wouldn't he get infected too?" Hakkai sounded worry. 

"He could manage" the girl replied softly. But her hand was trembling as she stroked Goku's hair. 

Suddenly, the mentioned boy appeared from the woods. The blue flowers with red thorns were in his hands, now covered with fresh crimson blood. The boy moved toward the girl and Goku, he held out the flower to her sister. His hands were trembling as he held the flower. 

The girl looked up to the boy. "Sankyu, can you wait?" she asked. She took the flowers and attended back to Goku. 

The boy smirked. His lips turned blue and his face was pale. 'The poison did infect him'. "I'm not going to die that easy" he said before he stumbled down to the ground. Luckily, he was grab by Hakkai just in time before his face met the earth.

The girl didn't even look. "Matte Kazo, I'll attend you after a while" she said slowly, there's a tremble in her frail voice.

Hakkai smiled slightly. He used his healing ki and healed the boy he was holding in his arms. He healed the wound and at the same time vanishing the poison. The boy's face turned back to flushes of red. 'He's okay'.

"Arigatou" the girl bowed her head slightly, her eyes still on Goku's face. 

"That's the least we can do to repay you" Hakkai lifted the unconscious boy in his arms.

"It's already too much" she whispered back. Now, it's her turn to return the favor. She picked one of the thorns from the blue flower and pricked it on Goku's thumb. The boy moaned softly. The girl put her right palm on Goku's temple, giving away a faint pink light in between her palm and Goku's head.

"This girl, she's human and yet she got the healing power like Hakkai's'. Gojyo startled at the sight. He looked at Hakkai and the little boy the girl kept calling Kazo. Hakkai was his usual caring self. 

"Put me down! Put me down!" the boy suddenly jerked forward in Hakkai's arm. Hakkai panicked, he didn't even realized when the boy woke up. Hakkai calmly put the boy down on the ground.

"Sumimasen, I never know you don't like to be lifted up like that" his hand rubbing the back of his head. He chuckled nervously. 

The boy gave him a bitter look. "Aiko said a boy who needed to be lifted was a geek" he stuck out his tongue at the corner of his mouth.

"Yare…yare…desune" Hakkai giggled in a polite manner, careful not to offend the little guy's feeling. 'Boy, this kid recovered fast'.

"It's okay, you're forgiven" the same genki smile that he gave when he first met them appeared on his face. Hakkai smiled, but the smile faded away as he glanced toward the girl and Goku. 

"Don't worry, you can count on Aiko. She knew what she's doing" the boy assured. "Let's sit down" the boy pulled Hakkai's hand and dragged him toward the fireplace. Sanzo and Gojyo followed him.

"What's your name, kiddo?" asked Gojyo.

"Kazo" the boy answered shortly. "And don't call me kiddo. I'm not a kid!" he continued sternly. 

"Ch!" Sanzo lit his cigarette. He looked at the girl and Goku from the corner of his eyes. 'This better be good'. He turned and found Hakkai smiling at him. Sanzo grunted and leaned his back against a tree trunk. 

The girl's hand still gleamed with the pink beam, meaning the healing session was still in progress.

************************

            "Sanzo," Hakkai whispered. He glanced at Goku who was now sleeping soundly. Goku has triumphed over his fight for his life. His will to survive helped him to live. He's fully recovered from the wound and the poison, except for the slight fever which remained. Thanks to Aiko, who was now sitting beside Goku, reading a book. One of her hand was holding the book to her face and the other was patting Goku's back, gently to assure him to sleep.

Sanzo looked at Hakkai.

"Who do you think they are?" Hakkai asked, slow but clear.

"Who cares?" Sanzo replied, coldly. Hakkai smiled in return. "As long as they don't say anything about handing them any sutra, I don't give it a damn" said Sanzo, even though he was worried too. 'Who the heck wouldn't? Here in the middle of nowhere, they met a kid with a girl who possessed such extraordinary ability to heal'.

Gojyo threw his fellow companions a glance before turning back to face Kazo, who was now staring at him without even blinking. The boy rested his chin on his hands and stared at Gojyo continuously. Gojyo quickly looked away. Kazo has stared at him for about half an hour now, but didn't even turn his gaze away from him. The boy lied down on his stomach, staring at him. Ruby met ruby.

Hakkai grinned at that sight. 'So…kawaii'. Gojyo noticed his grin and Gojyo returned that grin with a dread look that said 'Hakkai, you are sooo to die'.

Now Kazo rose up and sit cross-legged in front of Gojyo. That made Gojyo even more nervous than he was before. "Are you a taboo child?" the young half-breed asked and made the elder startled. The older half-breed's eyes widened in jolt.

"Wh-why you said that?" Gojyo stammered. He's not sure what to answer.

"Well…you have the same hair color like mine" said the younger boy, stroking his own hair. "So, I guess you were like me, a child born between youkai and human" Kazo looked at Gojyo, still waiting for the man's answer.

Gojyo astounded. 'This kid knew he was a taboo child?'

Kazo smiled. " Aiko always said that my hair reminded her of an apple" He muttered while playing with locks of his own hair, hanging limply from his head.

"Apple?" Gojyo stunned. 'My, that's a different opinion'.

 "Yupe! Red as an apple…" suddenly the boy stopped talking. He looked at Aiko. "Aiko, harahetta!" He cried out loud. The word 'apple' reminded him of food. 

"Eek!" Gojyo jerked back. Sweat dropped. 'This kid was no different from Goku'. He slapped his head in disbelief.

The cry made Sanzo and Hakkai startled. Hakkai's jaw dropped and Sanzo's cigaratte fell down from his lips. 'Does all the kid at this size have the same appetite?'

"Ch!" Sanzo quickly shoved the cigarette that fell on his robe before it could burn his outfit. He flipped the pages on his newspaper and tried hard not to listen to the conversation between Gojyo and Kazo. Hakkai laughed slightly.

Aiko drew her eyes from the book she's reading to Kazo. "No, wait until tomorrow!" she denied, sternly.

"Harahetta…"Kazo retreated. Once his sister made the decision, it will stay unchanged. That's mean he's not going to get any food no matter how hard he pleaded. He lied down on the ground with his face faced the sky. He stared sadly at the stars while his lips still uttering the latter word over and over.

Hakkai smiled. He brought out a bun from his backpack and handed it to Kazo. He was just sparing the food for Goku if the kid was too hungry he could not carry on. "I think this might fill you up for tonight?" Hakkai was smiling. 

"Yay!" Kazo quickly rose up and took the bun. "Sankyu" He presented Hakkai with the most sincere smile ever. He then stuffed the bun into his mouth. Hakkai chuckled. 

"Yare…yare…" Hakkai laughed nervously. 'This boy has the same appetite as Goku's'. The boy finished his midnight snack in the matter of a second and suddenly fell back on the earth, eyes closed and he started snoring out loud. 'My…my, the same behavior too'.

Aiko shook her head in embarrassment. She continued reading but she was stop abruptly by Goku's moans. Aiko looked down to find Goku was moving restlessly in his sleep. Aiko caressed Goku's cheek, sending the boy back to his sweetest dream. From moans and groans, Goku started chanting names of food, variety of food. Aiko smiled slightly. She continued on her reading. She looked at Kazo, who was now sleeping soundly. His head was over heels. Unfortunately they weren't able to reach the nearest town in time and stayed at the inn, or else Kazo would eat half of his pillow by now.

"You two travel alone?" Hakkai popped of nowhere and appeared in front of Aiko. Aiko jerked back, shocked to death. She didn't even realize when that brunette stood in front of her.

"Aa…Hai!Hai!" answered Aiko, almost chocked with her words.

Hakkai smiled. He sat down beside Goku and tucked that boy with a blanket that he took from his backpack. "Where are you going?"

"Somewhere…" Aiko was not eager to answer that question. She was going to say something, but she just couldn't say it. Hakkai quickly understood. He stopped asking anymore question.

"Sumimasen, may be it's too early for me to ask such question. We hardly knew each other yet" Hakkai apologized. He looked at Aiko. Aiko looked back with a smile. She stood up and walked toward Kazo. She tucked her brother with a blanket. "I'm going for a night bath, could you please look after him?" Aiko stroked Kazo's hair lovingly. She gave her brother a peck on the cheek before heading toward the river. 

"Sure" Hakkai agreed as Aiko walked away. A towel hung limply on her shoulder.

Gojyo was about to stand up when Sanzo pointed a gun to his head. Gojyo yelped, astounded when Sanzo appeared from nowhere.

"Don't even think about that!" Sanzo warned. The monk was ready to pull the trigger anytime now. Gojyo threw himself to the ground. Folding his arm in front of his chest. 

"Ch!" Gojyo pouted. 'How the hell he knew I was going to peek on her?'

Hakkai smiled. It's been over three years since he first met Gojyo, he was well aware of the red haired perverted attitude. Gojyo could never take his eyes away from any beautiful woman.

"Better think again if you're planning to seduce her Gojyo, I don't think she's going to let you" Hakkai grinned, so much like he was sneering at Gojyo. 

"Who's interested in that girl anyway?" Gojyo retreated. Better to prevent than to cure, the girl was really something else. He lied down on his back; both hands were crossed under his head. 'Goku, tomorrow I'll poke you on the head for making my arms went cramp'. Gojyo closed his eyes. He fell asleep soon after that.

"Naa…Sanzo, who's going to…." Hakkai stopped abruptly when he saw Sanzo has already fallen asleep. The monk was leaning against the tree bark, his hands folded around his chest and his head bowed slightly. Sanzo was snoring under his breath.

Hakkai raised his shoulders slightly. "Looks like I'm the one to stay on guard'. He walked toward Sanzo and Gojyo and tucked them with blankets before retreating his way back to Goku. From the river ahead, he could hear splashing sound. Hakkai reached out for the book that Aiko has been reading for the past one hour and started reading it. It's being long since he last settled down and made himself read a book.

To be continue…..

Ayie: For gallatica-san, sankyu for waiting….You don't have to wait too long, I'll be uploading the chapters soon. And Iya! This is not Sanzo/Goku fic. Ja ne..


	3. The recovery and discovery

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Saiyuki characters. All the characters belong to Sensei Minekura-san.

Ayie: Chapter 3 is up and the next chapter is coming soon. If you realized, the blue flower with red thorns was borrowed from 'Shrek'..remember when Donkey was send to get the flower when Princess Fiona and Shrek wanted to be alone…

Sanzo: Ch! You gave me a headache…can you think of another flower than the one taken from Shrek…vein popping out

Ayie: I have edited chapter 2, for Kuroi-san, thanks for reminding me about my grammar. I'll try to improve it in my next chapters ^.^ sankyu..

Chapter 3 – Recovery and discovery 

"Yay yay!" A yelping voice woke the three guys from their sleep. Sanzo snapped his eyes open and jerked forward. He glanced around to find Hakkai rising up, rubbing his eyes with the back of his palm and Gojyo yawning and stretching his arms. They looked around, looking for somebody.

"Ohaiyo, minna-san" a warm greet welcomed them. Sanzo, Gojyo and Hakkai looked at Aiko who was smiling down at them. The girl stared at them for a moment before she went to the fireplace. She was doing some cooking actually.

"Go…" Gojyo was about to ask something when Aiko interfered.

"Goku went to the river with Kazo to take their morning bath. They just left" she explained. 'Wow! This girl not only heal but she could reads mind too!'. Aiko boiled a pot of water by the fire. 

"Ah naw! Now I had to give away my lunch to that baka saru" mumbled Gojyo as he stood on his feet. He looked toward the direction of the river. His instinct persuaded him to go to the river.

"Ee..saru? Where?" Aiko looked around. She didn't find any monkey nearby. 

Hakkai chuckled. "He's referring to Goku" Hakkai explained. He rose up and walked toward Aiko. Hakkai gave the girl a helping hand, assisting her with the cooking. 

"Eh! Goku's a saru?" Aiko couldn't understand the mocking. Hakkai chuckled.

"I'll explain to you later" Hakkai assured her. He smiled to the confused girl. 

"A promise is a promise kappa!" Sanzo reminded, his arms folded on his chest. He didn't even looked at Gojyo. Hakkai nodded eagerly, agreeing the monk's statement. Gojyo grunted. He crossed his arms at the back of his head and headed for the river. After all the fighting and running last night, he would desperately need a bath.

A while after Gojyo left, the rest remained could hear a loud bickering of Gojyo and Goku, followed by splash sounds and lots of bobbing noise. Particularly the usual sound when Gojyo and Goku were poking each other's head.

"Good way of showing relief" Aiko broke the silence around her. 

Hakkai just smiled. He looked at Aiko and was about to say something when Aiko turned to him and returned his smile. "About last night…Gomen, not that I don't trust you but the answer might turn to be ridiculous" She said.

"It's okay, we understand" Hakkai replied. "I don't mean to offend you but Kazo…Is he really your brother?" Sanzo turned to Hakkai, giving him a deadly glare that probably said 'Stop it Hakkai! Don't get too far'. 

Aiko smiled, so much to their relief. "Actually, he was my step brother" Aiko explained. "We shared the same father but with different mother. My father wed his mother, a youkai, after my mother's death" she continued. She said it calmly; even Hakkai and Sanzo felt that her reaction was a little bit threatening. 

"Youkai or no youkai, my stepmother was a very dear mother to my older siblings and me" Aiko stated. She sipped the coffee from her cup after distributing other cups of coffee to the men around her. Aiko looked at Hakkai. "My family died in a massacre 3 months ago and since then I've been traveling with Kazo" She gave Hakkai the look that seemed to show the signal for the man to stop asking another question. 

"Souka…"Hakkai nodded. He fell silent after that. 'Massacre huh?'. His mind wandered off somewhere, to the event that happened three years ago. 

"Hakkai!" a giggling voice snapped Hakkai's mind back to reality. A pair of thin, slender arms appeared from behind him and hugged his neck. Hakkai felt a sudden weight on his back when Goku's body fell on him. He turned his head and found Goku grinning to him. 'He looked great despite his dying condition last night'. Hakkai returned the grin with a welcoming smile. "Ohaiyo Goku" he greeted.

"Ohaiyo, Hakkai!" Goku chirped. He let go off Hakkai's neck and marched toward Sanzo who was reading his newspaper. "Sanzoooo…." Goku almost sang the word out with a melodious rhythm. He opened his arms wide and hugged the monk's waist. He acted as if he hadn't meet Sanzo for a decade.

Sanzo, feeling embarrassed at that act of caring brought out his harisen and whacked the boy's head continuously. The boy yelped in agony.

"Ittai yo Sanzo…What's that for?" Goku pouted when the whacking session finally ceased. Bumps started to form on his head. He glanced at Sanzo. 

"That's for being so stupid to let yourself poisoned" Sanzo muttered. Hakkai smiled at Sanzo's way of showing relief. Aiko just stared at him with disbelief. 'Several hours ago, he was going to kill me for putting the boy in danger, now it's him who's killing that boy'. Aiko looked at Hakkai, requiring for explanation.

"It's typical of Sanzo" Hakkai whispered. Not wanting to let Sanzo hear what he's saying, or else the harisen would came flying and knocked his temple although the harisen never landed on any of his body parts before. He just didn't want to take the risk of started having one. Aiko sweat dropped. 'This guy should be an assassin, not a monk'

"I'm going for a bath" 

Sanzo rose up and started walking toward the river. Goku was tailing behind him, jumping and hopping in glee. The younger boy chattered continuously, the outcome? Sanzo's harisen landed on his head over and over.

"Arara…what a big fish we have here" Hakkai chirped cheerfully while holding a fish at its tail and waving it in front of Aiko. Aiko sweat dropped, if she never knew Kazo she would surely think these foursome were the weirdest men she ever met. 'Ops! Only if it didn't count Leon, Yue-nii-chan and…' Aiko startled when Hakkai threw a stick into the fire, sending tiny sparks of flame in the air. One of the sparks burned Aiko's blanket, making a hole out of it. 

"Eek…! Gomen nasai" Hakkai chuckled nervously. 

Aiko stumbled head over heels. 'My mistake, they are the weirdest men on earth even if Leon, Yue-nii-chan and O-nii-chan counted in'

***********************

"Ah! The best fish I ever had" Goku rested himself by leaning against a maple tree. He just finished eating a ton of fish. It seemed like a ton if you looked at a mountain of fish bones beside him.

"So much for a dying guy" Gojyo finished his last fish. He did not favor his own act of having to surrender his meal after promising it to the saru. Lucky for him, Hakkai saved him half of his own lunch so he wouldn't start the day with an empty stomach.

"Oi kappa! How come you're eating? You promised to give me your meal" Goku protested. Actually, he was only looking for a reason to fight. His stomach won't be able to receive any more food. 

"Wrong! I'm not eating my meal, I'm eating Hakkai's meal" Gojyo corrected. He threw what was left of his meal into the flame. Goku looked at Hakkai with protest. Hakkai smiled with guilt.

"Gomen…" Hakkai apologized. 

"Kyu?" Harkuryu nuzzled his master's cheek.

"I'm still hungry…" Kazo sighed heavily. He cried in alarm as soon as a stone made encounter with his head. He rubbed the aching spot and looked at his sister. "What was that for?". He knew his sister so well that he's aware she was the one to throw the stone at him. 

"For being ungrateful" Aiko answered simply. Kazo and Goku actually finished the same amount of fish, almost three times larger than the elders' counted together. Kazo stuck out his tongue to Aiko, resulting in another stone darted toward him and knocked his head right on the temple.

"Ittai!!!" Kazo screamed in agony.

Hakkai smiled at that sight. The brother and sister did remind him of Sanzo and Goku. Gojyo and Goku were laughing hysterically at Kazo's face, now with two major bumps on his head. Sanzo just gave a simple "Ch" and at sudden rose up to his feet.

"Ikkuzo!" he said sternly.

"Hai!" Hakkai rose up and called for Harkuryu. He summoned the little dragon to transform into his mechanical self. Harkuryu cooed for once and transformed into a green jeep. 

"A jeep?!" Kazo was amazed. He walked around the jeep, patting every part of the jeep his hand came in contact. Harkuryu cooed with glee.

Goku was upset with Sanzo's decision. Actually he wanted to spend more time with Kazo. This was his first time to hang around with a kid with the same mentality as his, other than Lirin of course. He tugged at Sanzo's sleeve. "Can we stay for a while?" he pleaded with a puppy look, which always managed to win over Sanzo. Not this time.

"Iya!" Sanzo declined the pleading. He looked away from that saru. Goku pouted. "But I want to play with Kazo" his eyes started to water.

"Naa…Goku, we cannot stay any longer, even your friend was ready to go" Hakkai patted Goku's shoulder. He tried to cheer Goku up. Goku looked at Aiko who was packing her things into her backpack. She rose up, lifted the backpack onto her shoulder and walked toward the ikkou.

"Where are you heading?" asked Gojyo.

"To the west" Aiko's answer made the bishounens's head turned to her. Aiko looked up with wonder. "Something's wrong? We are heading for Taisume, a day ahead from here" she continued. She didn't know which part of her answers that stunned the guys. The guys sighed with relief. 'How could they think of that?'

"We are heading the same way then" Hakkai smiled. Sanzo grunted. "May be you can come with us" Sanzo knew that offer would come out from Hakkai's mouth. 

"Oi! Hakkai!" Sanzo was not in favor of Hakkai's hospitality. 

"Ma…ma…Sanzo, you are not going to leave a girl and a boy behind won't you?" Hakkai smiled to Sanzo. Sanzo sighed with disgust. He could never win over Hakkai.

"Arigatou" Aiko bowed her head politely. "But it's okay, we can go by ourselves" 

"Nani?!" Gojyo was astounded. "How are you going to get there? We can't leave you two behind, it's going to take the entire day walking to that town". Him? Leaving a beautiful girl behind? God have mercy on him if he would ever think of that in the future.

"Walk? Who said anything about walking?" Aiko sneered. She whistled and a white figure dashed toward them at high speed and landed on Aiko's shoulder. A little white dragon just like Harkuryu, only this one was a she-dragon. You can see that from its cute face. The dragon snuggled Aiko's neck and cooed softly. 

Gojyo patted the hud of the jeep, "Gee…Harkuryu, it's a she" he exclaimed. Harkuryu cooed. 

"Meet Nimmiku" Aiko introduced her pet. She whispered something to the little dragon. Nimmiku then flew to the ground and transformed itself into a Harley Davidson. The bishounens' jaw dropped.

"That answered my question" Gojyo stared in amazement.

"Can I ride in Harkuryu?" Kazo tugged at Hakkai's sleeve. The emerald eyed man, who was still astounded with the vehicle in front of him looked down with bewildered eyes.

Hakkai scratched his head and smiled. "Why don't you ask that man over there?" he pointed his thumb over his shoulder, to the already raged monk. 

"Hakkai! You don't…!" Gojyo grabbed Hakkai's shoulder, sending the brunette to jerk backward. He could not stand it with one saru on board and now Hakkai gave a way to two sarus. He would never survive another day.

Kazo marched toward Sanzo and tugged at the monk's sleeve. Goku did the same thing on the other side of his robe. Now two kids stared at him with that innocent puppy eyes look on their faces. It's making him insane that he wanted to shoot a bullet through his head.

"Okay!" Sanzo retreated, much to his relief when both of the boys let go off his sleeves and hugged each other. Gojyo slapped his head. 'Damn, he's dead'.

"Kazo, you should ask your sister first" Hakkai reminded the red haired boy. Kazo and Goku ran toward Aiko. The girl jerked back and stumbled down on earth when the boys jumped on her all together. Both Kazo and Goku looked down to her face. 'Gesh! The puppy eyes…the pleading looks, God help me!'

Aiko groaned. "Whatever you want" she made her decision. Aiko rose up with Gojyo's assistance.

"Yay-yay!!" the boys hopped into the jeep merrily. For Kazo, this is his first time boarding a jeep and for Goku, this is his first ride with a boy with a same behavior of his.

"Yare…yare" Hakkai shook his head. He could predict what would happen with two genki kids on board. Chaos! Mess! Turmoil! Everything.

"Kyu..?" Nimmiku cooed out of jealousy at the sight of his young master on board of another vehicle other than her. 

"Ne…I think she's jealous with Harkuryu" Hakkai chuckled. He spent so much time with Harkuryu that he could understand the meaning of their cooing based on the tone.

Aiko smiled. She patted the handle. "No need to get jealous Nimmi, we are going to meet him in town". She looked at the ikkou.

"We'll meet at Taisume city" Aiko put on her gloves. "There's only one inn in the city, you'll find me there" She sat on the bike's seat and fastened the safety belt on her helmet. She put on her goggles and turned on the ignition switch. The bike gave away a loud vroom sound. 

"Hai!" Hakkai agreed. "Ride safely" He reminded.

"You too" she replied with a smile. She gave Kazo a deadly glare. "Behave yourself or I'll kill you the next time we meet" She warned him. Aiko looked at the older bishounens. "Ja nee" with that, she stepped on the accelerator pedal and went off with her bike.

"I've to get one of that in the future" Gojyo watched the bike disappeared, leaving behind storms of dust.

"I guess we better get going now" Hakkai hopped into the driver's seat, followed by Sanzo and Gojyo. 

"Ikkuzo!!" the two boys lurched forward and pointed to the west, much to Sanzo irritation. He brought out his legendary paper fan and…

"WHACK!WHACK!" two whacks on two heads. 

"Ittai!!" both of the kids sunk to their seats and clutched their heads in their arms.

"Hwa…Hwa…served you right" Gojyo laughed frantically. May be that red haired kid on board was a good idea after all. That would save him Sanzo's whack. 'Ek! Buzzer sound he was all wrong'

"Thwack!" the paper fan hit Gojyo right on his temple. So much for thinking he was safe. "Oi bouzu! You should use that fan to whack my head, not to throw it to my head!" Gojyo protested while rubbing his sore head.

"It's multifunctioned!" replied Sanzo, without even looking at Gojyo.

"Yada yada…what a peaceful day" Hakkai switched on the ignition switch, stepped on the gas pedal, stirred the gear and off they went, with full speed. 

To be continue…

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Ayie: I'll be uploading the next chapter soon. Thanks for reviewing. I was planning to put the ikkou in big trouble when they reached the town. Taisume? It's just an imaginary town. ^__^.


	4. The new town

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters of Gensomaden Saiyuki. They honorably belong to Minekura-san Sensei.

Ayie: For those who reviewed my fic and like it, thanks a lot. Glad you guys enjoy it. For those who read but did not review, thanks for reading ^_~. In this chap, I'm going to torture everyone a lot….he..he.. I'm a bad bad person. 

Sanzo: I thought you never realized that….

Ayie: Actually, my computer went wrong, causing chapter 4 to vanish. Hu…hu.. ~_~. I have to retype all over again. Wa…!!!

Hakkai: ma…ma…calm down

******************

Chapter 4 – The new town

Goku and Kazo pushed the door and entered the inn, followed by Gojyo who looked like as if he's dragging himself in. He was terribly exhausted, having to deal with the latter two for the whole day. Sanzo was next to enter the inn with Hakkai's tailing behind him. Sanzo held out the golden credit card, a courtesy of Sanbutusin, to Hakkai. Hakkai took the card and went to the reception counter. Sanzo and the rest of the ikkou went to the diner.

A man at his middle age stood behind the counter, waiting for Hakkai with a welcoming smile. Hakkai smiled in return. "We need four rooms please?" Hakkai asked politely.

"Sumanen….but there was no more room available" the innkeeper was not fond of turning his customer down. "You see…this was the only inn in town" he tried to give the best reason.

"Yare…yare" Hakkai was not in favor of this either. They've been driving for the whole day under the burning sun. Every one of them had worn out and desperately need a nice and comfort place to rest.  Alas Gojyo's energy was drained to his last for having to take care of two mischievous kids and Sanzo's right hand got cramped after whacking a lot throughout the day. Hakkai could imagine what the two men would do to him if he failed to get a room. Disaster! Hakkai gulped uneasily. He gave the innkeeper a pathetic smile.

The innkeeper lost over that smile. He felt rather guilty. "The last single room was rented by a girl under the name of Genjo Sanzo" he checked his logbook, hoping that the information would help the young man. "She came in an hour ago"

"Ano..?" Hakkai felt a sudden delight. His hope returned. Lucky for them, Aiko reached the inn just in time to rent the last remaining room. "That girl was our friend, that blonde man over there was Genjo Sanzo" Hakkai pointed his index finger to Sanzo, who is now whacking the daylight out of Goku's sight. His companions sat around a table at the diner, waiting for him. "May we have the key please?"

The innkeeper smiled. 'The information does help'. He handed the brunette a key and took the golden card from the young man's hand. The innkeeper charged the card and returned it to Hakkai. "Room 20"

"Arigatou" Hakkai replied. "Sumimasen, can we ask for extra mattresses?" he asked. Hakkai knew his comrades so well that he's well aware that neither of them would consider of sharing the same bed. Having the single room, which was another problem, they only got one bed.

"The girl already ordered four extra mattresses and they have being sent to the room a while ago" the innkeeper explained. Now he knew why the girl insisted on having extra mattresses even though she was alone.

"Sankyu" Hakkai left the counter and went to his companions. It amazed him when neither of his friends seemed to complain about sharing the same room. 'They must be really tired'. They just walked up the stairs and headed for room 20, which happened to be just around the corner.

Gojyo was about to turn the doorknob when Hakkai stopped him. "Nanda?" he asked, not really happy with that.

"Shouldn't we knock first?" Hakkai smiled. 'Ah! Hakkai and his polite self'

"I'm really tired that I don't give a damn about manners" Gojyo exclaimed. But he did let Hakkai took the honor of knocking the door. Hakkai was about to knock when Goku and Gojyo turned the doorknob and pushed the door opened.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, a pillow dashed toward them. Hakkai managed to dodge the attack but the pillow hit Gojyo right on his face. Bull's eye! 

"Hey!" Gojyo was so annoyed. He stared at the girl who's sitting on the edge of the bed, in the middle of the room. 

"Served you right for not knocking!" Aiko sneered. She looked terribly furious. "Don't you ever learn manners?"

"And which manners taught you to throw a pillow right on the guests' face?" asked Gojyo with the highest pitch of his voice. He then stood dumbfounded, amazed at his own ability to raise his voice to a woman.

Aiko smiled and that smile made Gojyo waved a tiny white flag tied to a stick. He would never won over women. That's his weakness.

"Iya! That's not what I call manners, I called it an act of self-defense" Aiko exclaimed with her index finger pointing up. She rose up and went to the door.

"Gomen nasai…I only managed to get one room" Aiko picked up the pillow from the floor. She looked up to Sanzo and rose, facing the monk face to face. "Do you mind sharing?"

"Ch!" that was Sanzo's typical way of saying 'yes'.

"Who's having the bed?" Goku's voice dragged the elders' attention. They stared at the bed and then turned to the futons arranged side by side on the floor. 

"You guys aren't expecting me to sleep on the floor don't you? Cause I won't" Sanzo said sternly.

"Oi! Oi! Don't expect me to do so, I'm feeling like hell and I'll have the bed at all cost!" Gojyo protested.

"Kono kappa! What about us?" Goku demanded for explanation. "We're only kids, we're the one who deserved the bed" he claimed with Kazo nodding eagerly behind him.

"Oi! Kono baka saru! A saru supposed to sleep on the tree, not on the bed" Gojyo teased the young heretic.

"I'm not a saru!" Goku insisted.

"Yada…yada" Hakkai slapped his forehead. 'Always the same problem'.

"We're not going anywhere like this" Gojyo said. He took out a pack of cards from his pocket. "Let's get this over with once and for all" He shuffled the cards hastily.  

"Go!" Sanzo agreed. All of them sat on the futons, forming a circle. Gojyo held out several cards to his friends. Each one of them took one card.

         Hakkai looked at his card. But then he felt a pressure in the atmosphere around him. He looked up and found pairs of red eyes and amethysts stared at him with grimace look. Hakkai grinned nervously. "Yare…yare…this is the first time I lost" Hakkai smiled.

         "Ch…me too" Sanzo tossed his card away. So did Gojyo. Aiko looked at them with a smile.

"Yay! I win" Goku held out a King card to Gojyo's face, much to Sanzo and Gojyo's disgust. Goku did not waste no more time, he grabbed Kazo by his wrist and dragged him toward the bed. Kazo on the other hand, only got the Jack card. Both of them leaped happily onto the bed.

"Goku, don't you think ladies should be first?" Hakkai managed to stay polite the whole daylong. Goku and Kazo startled. They forgot that they got a girl with them and girls always come first. The kids stared at Aiko and jumped down from the bed.

Aiko chuckled edgily. "Iya!" she said it with melodious tone. "You guys earned it" She said. "You won over the cast, it's just not my luck" Aiko was indeed a bit embarrassed to the hospitality showered upon her. Goku and Kazo jumped merrily at the offer and hopped back onto the bed.

"I don't mind sleeping on the futons" Aiko looked down to the futons. 'They looked comfortable though'. "As long as mine was separated from the rest three" She just realized that the futons were arranged side by side on the floor. 'No way I'm sleeping side by side with the guys'.

"Yare…yare…" Hakkai sweat dropped. "Sumimasen"

Gojyo was the one appointed with the task of lifting the futon to the other side of the bed. He did it with two reasons. First, Sanzo made him do it by pointing a gun to his temple and threatened to kill him if he refused. The other reason? It's just that there's a part of him meant to be ladies' man.

"Sankyu" Aiko returned his favor with a smile. Gojyo found the smile a little bit embarrassing since the smile was much different from the one he always got when he flirted with women. It's not a typical smile that says 'Come and play with me'. The smile looked more like Hakkai's. So hideous and mysterious. That kind of smile usually made him felt miserable.

"I've cooked dinner" Aiko announced. That announcement made Goku and Kazo leaped away from the bed and darted toward the dining table.

"Oi! Oi! Don't you know how to behave?" Gojyo teased Goku and Kazo. He pulled out a chair and sat in between Sanzo and Goku. Hakkai pulled out a chair for Aiko before he settled himself down beside Sanzo. 

"Wa! Fried noodles, dumplings, meat buns, siu mai, chop suey….sugee!" Goku looked at the cuisine with saliva dropping from his mouth. "I'll have it all" Goku started gobbling the food greedily. Kazo was doing the same thing.

"Kyu?" Harkuryu cooed at Goku, amazed by the boy's ability to eat without stopping to breath.

"You cooked all this?" Hakkai was amazed at the amount and the variety of food served on the table. Even Sanzo and Gojyo stared at the cuisine with bewildered eyes.

"Hai! I just loved cooking" Aiko chirped. "It's my hobby" 

"Honto ni? Me too" Hakkai chuckled.

Sanzo and Gojyo sweat dropped at that brunettes' conversation. 'Great, now they have two Hakkais and two sarus'.

"Oi! Save some for us, kono baka saru!" Gojyo hit Goku hard on the head and caused the saru to snatch away the dumpling he's holding in his hand. Gojyo snarled. The fight for food started again.

"Yare…yare…" Hakkai sweat dropped. He slapped his head in disbelief. Aiko chuckled edgily. 

"Urusei!" Sanzo took out his Smith and Wesson and pulled the trigger, twice.

"BANG!BANG!" two bullets missed Goku and Gojyo's head by inches. The latter two stood dumfounded before they settled down quietly. It didn't last long though; they started fighting again, this time over a siu mai. 

"Gomen…" Hakkai was about to apologize for his friends' misbehavior before he stopped and chocked with his word. Aiko is giggling in glee at the scene. No sign of fear in that girl's face. Even a slight one. No fear except happiness.

Hakkai retreated with a curl on his lips. He never thought he would someday met a woman who would laugh at the fighting scene of Gojyo and Goku or the scene where Sanzo interfered in the middle of the fight with his harisen or shoureiju in his hand. 'This girl sure is different'

However, Hakkai could feel a different aura from the other side of the table. He looked from the corner of his eyes and saw Kazo's staring at his sister. A dumpling stuffed in his mouth but there was a thin smile on the corner of his only visible part of the lips. The boy stared at her sister for a couple of minutes before he gulped the dumpling into his throat. He joined Gojyo and Goku in the battle for food and it was obvious he was on Goku's side.

Sanzo found out the same thing as Hakkai did but he remained silent. His calmness lasted for a while before he blasted off several bullets toward the trio.

"Hakkai" Hakkai turned to Aiko and found the girl grinned devilishly at him. "I never knew Joker was weaker than King" Aiko held out a Joker card between her slim fingers.

Hakkai sweat dropped. 'How she managed to get the card?'. He saved the card so nobody would ever noticed that he let Goku won over the cast on purpose. Hakkai smiled nervously, his hand rubbed the back of his head. "Yare…yare…"

Aiko chuckled. "It looks like you guys have been planning this from the beginning" she said, almost whispering. She held out two other cards. This time the Ace of Spade and the Ace of Heart. The cards were no doubts belong to Sanzo and Gojyo. If you remember, Sanzo and Gojyo never drew out their cards. They just tossed it away randomly and Goku being Goku, would never retrieved for it.

"Your secret's save with me" with a deft movement of her fingers, Aiko slipped those cards smoothly into her sleeve. Hakkai sighed with relief.

Hakkai looked at Sanzo and Gojyo. Actually they have agreed to let Goku has the bed since the boy was still a bit shaky because of his fever. They considered on his dying condition last night and decided that he might need extra rest, as comfortable as possible. Even Sanzo compromised with that.

********************* 

Kazo glanced around. The room went a little bit quiet after dinner. Well, don't expect the room to be too quiet with Gojyo and Goku in it. Alas, now they are pounding each other's head as the red haired man tried to snatch away Goku's pillow. 

Sanzo's still sitting the dining table, a newspaper was held to his face. He wore a pair of glasses, which Kazo found it quite hilarious, but he didn't dare to laugh at it. The monk's robe was carefully folded, leaving him wearing a jeans and a black suit that seemed to stuck to his body.

Harkuryuu was busy cooing something with Nimmiku. The male dragon nuzzled a spring roll toward the female dragon, urging her to eat it. Nimmiku's cheeks gave away tiny flushes of red. She took a bite on the spring roll and nuzzled Harkuryu at his wing. They are using a language that only Hakkai and Aiko would understand. Well, they seemed to understand since they laughed adoringly everytime their pets cooed. But Kazo doesn't have to understand the language to know that the dragons are falling for each other.

Hakkai and Aiko were much entertained by their pets. They are cleaning the table right now, after finished washing all the dishes. Hakkai insisted on lending Aiko a helping hand with the cleaning and Aiko didn't resist it since she did need extra hands to complete her task. 

Kazo's lips curled slightly as he watched his sister at work. 'She never looked this beautiful, with the smile on her face since…'. Kazo was surely glad that he decided to help the foursome the night before. He didn't even know why he'd help them. It's just his instinct and he simply followed it. It's not like him to offer help since every time he offered, the one they helped always turned to be their foes later in the end.

But this 'people'? He could not help it. He just have the feeling that even he could not tell what. For the past few months, he only trusted his sister. No one else. It's just me, myself, my sister and I. It's better that way. 'Why? Why these guys were different?'

Sanzo looked at Kazo from the corner of his eyes. That monk looked as if he is reading the news headlines but actually his gaze was on Kazo. The boy stared at his sister for about half an hour now. 'What's with this kid? Is he having a doubt on his sister?'

"Oi! Kazo!" Goku's voice snapped Sanzo's mind back to reality. The young heretic whom he found eight years ago, jailed in a stone prison on top of Mount Gogyo, jumped on top of Kazo. The sudden impact sent Kazo to stumbled hard on the bed. They wrestled on the bed furiously. Their act sent the pillow to fly all over the room.

"Ch!" Sanzo grunted as his eyes retreated to the news headline on that piece of black and white paper. Suddenly, a pillow dashed toward him and hit the monk right on his head. There were numerous vein popped out onto Sanzo's forehead. The blonde's face was red with rage. 

"O'o!" Goku, Gojyo and Kazo started to get panic. 'What will happen now?'. They don't have wait too long to get the answer.

"Get ready" Hakkai reminded Aiko. 

"Nani?" Aiko didn't seem to understand what he's saying. She looked at him with wonders.

"Shi – ne !!!" Sanzo lurched toward the bed with a harisen in his hand. He whacked the gakis' head hard and twice as hard onto Gojyo's as the red haired acted as the judge for the chibis' fight just now. He's not satisfied. He took out his shoureiju and blasted off several bullets, even into the direction of Hakkai and Aiko. The brunettes dodged the bullets just in time. Hakkai grabbed Aiko's hand and dragged her into a hiding spot, under the dining table. They managed to grabbed Harkuryu and Nimmiku with them by clinging to their tails. Before that, the dragons flew frantically around the room in order to avoid the bullets from Sanzo's shoureiju.

"Kuruso!!" Sanzo kept on shooting, to all directions, sending the rest of his roommates to scatter around the room like a maniac. It doesn't seem that he's going to stop soon.

Hakkai and Aiko sweat dropped. They dodged off another bullet that passed over their heads just by an inch. 'Ma…this monk really is short-tempered'. Aiko cuddled Harkuryu and Nimmiku close to her chest. Sanzo's still shooting crazily around the room.

****************** 

Aiko glanced at Goku and Kazo. Both of them snored soundly on the bed. Their arms and legs sprawled across each other's body. Bumps and bruises, courtesy of Sanzo's infamous harisen, were everywhere as far as one's eyes could see on their bodies. The pillows were sent to the floor, it scattered all around the floor near the bed. The blanket on the other hand was shoved off to the edge of the bed and a pair of dragons made a bed out of it.

Aiko smiled and at a sudden rose up from her chair. Her abrupt movement attracted the other's attention. Sanzo put down his newspaper and glimpsed at her before he continued on his reading. That monk finally ceased fire after twenty minutes of chaos and it took about half an hour for Hakkai to calm him down. Gojyo and Hakkai, who are playing cards, turned their heads toward Aiko. 

Aiko stared into the darkness of the night through the wide opened window. The stars shone brightly, guess it's not going to rain.

"Doujibou desu ka?" Gojyo asked. His face was covered with bruises, bumps and plasters.

"Doujibou…" she answered with a faint smile. She turned her head toward the brunette and the red haired.

"I'm going to do some shopping for our supplement" Aiko put on her black vest on top of her white turtleneck t-shirt. She rolled her braid in a bun and headed for the door.

"Matte Aiko!" Hakkai put Aiko into a sudden halt. "I'm going with you, after all we need to do some shopping too" Hakkai stood up after he drew his card onto the table.

"Argh!" Gojyo sighed. "I owe you a glass of sake" he waved his hand frantically in the air. Gojyo rose up and put on his vest.

"Going somewhere?" Hakkai asked as he walked toward Sanzo, who's holding the credit card between his fingers. 

"Iya! Just want to have some beer at the diner" Gojyo replied coldly. 'Who's going to stay alone in a room with a bloodthirsty monk and two sleeping sarus anyway?'. He walked through the door and passed Aiko, who's leaning against the wall next to the door. He winked at her and she returned it with a snarl. Gojyo laughed as he walked down the stairs.

Aiko could hear Gojyo's footsteps as he walked down the stairs. The sound faded away a moment later. She glanced at Hakkai and Sanzo. A golden credit card exchanged hands without Sanzo even turned his eyes from his newspaper. 'A very up-to-date monk he is, I bet he knew what's going on around the world'. Aiko smiled.

"Buy me a pack of cigarette" Sanzo ordered. He looked from on top of his gaze and found Aiko's smiling broadly at his direction. "What are you smiling at?" he gave her deadly glare. Aiko shook her hand in front of her and giggled nervously. She's not going to take the risk of having a bullet shot through her head. She smiled an innocent smile.

"Ch!" Sanzo started reading again. 

"Get rid of here right away, the shopkeeper won't wait for you" Sanzo shooed them off. He's a little bit embarrassed at that smile and hid his face behind the newspaper. But Hakkai could saw that the monk is blushing.

Hakkai smiled. It was once in a blue moon to see Genjo Sanzo blushed.

"Soreja" Hakkai greeted as he softly pulled the door behind him, with Aiko's leading their way.

Sanzo put down his newspaper and gave an empty glare to the door. He sighed. Sanzo leaned his head against the wall behind him and sled an arm on his forehead. 'That girl seemed terribly familiar, but where I've seen her before?'. His eyebrows connected and his forehead distorted. He seemed to be thinking hard. Sanzo closed his eyes and fell asleep soon after that.

To be continue……

************************ 

ayie: Yare…yare…finished the chapter already. 

Goku and Kazo: Yay! Yay!


	5. The trouble

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters of Gensomaden Saiyuki. They honorably belong to Minekura-san Sensei.

Ayie: Well, I'm keeping the OC's identity and her background as a secret for this moment, but I promised you Animegurl-san, I'm going to reveal it soon. I hope you'll be patient…hihi…gomen for making you guys wondering..^0^. About pairings…. You'll find the hint in this chap. Look adoringly at Harkuryu and his new 'friend'

Harkuryu and Nimmiku: Kyu….?

Ayie: ^.^# gomen minna-san…that's include you..

The dragons : Kyu….Kyu…

****************************** 

Chapter 5 – The Trouble

Hakkai glanced at the girl who's walking with him side by side. The girl is checking her list of goods that she didn't seem to realize she was being stared by emerald eyes of her walking companion. She ticked the last word on her list and looked at Hakkai. She smiled. 'What secret does she veiled behind that smile?'

"Have you got everything you need?" Aiko asked while her hands are checking the goods in her shopping bags.

Hakkai smiled. "Hai!" But then he remembered something. "Matte! I do need to buy some herbs, iodine, bandages, plasters, chloroform…" Hakkai mentioned some medical terms while counting his fingers. 

"Chloroform?!" Aiko astounded. "What was that for?" Aiko was surely shocked when he mentioned that term. From what she had learnt from her stepmother, chloroform was used to put someone into a long sleep.

Hakkai chuckled. "I need that for emergency purpose" he explained. "In case someday Sanzo went insane and might shoot his own head" Hakkai said it sarcastically.

"Souka… Then you'll use the choloroform to doze him off" Aiko continued Hakkai's explanation. She almost sang it out. Hakkai laughed and nodded.

"Hai! Hai!" Hakkai agreed. He smiled merrily. 

"Go! Get away from here!" A harsh voice that emerged from nowhere put the two brunettes into sudden halt. They gaped at a scene in front of their eyes. A man is shoving away a woman with a baby wrapped in her arms, away from a stall. The woman kneeled down and tugged at that man pants. 

"Please sir…. Please give me some food" she begged. Tears are flowing down on her fresh bruised cheeks. She looked at the baby in her arms. "My son was famished, the food is for him" The woman kept on crying. Her voice sounded so weak and she looked worn out. She was terribly pale despite the bruises on her face. Her face showed fear, sadness and pain. Still yet, her grip on her baby was firm and tough.

The man suddenly kicked the woman on the face and caused her to stumble down on earth, but still she didn't let go off her baby. Hakkai and Aiko gasped. The man treated the woman as if she was a worthless animal. 

"Iya!" the man shouted. From his outfit, they could find out that he was the stall keeper. "Nothing is free in this world, if you have no money then starve and die!" with that, he returned to his stall. He didn't even give the weeping lady a second look. His face displayed great hatred and anger, not at all sympathy.

Hakkai could feel his face reddened with flushes of anger. 'K'so'

"Darn!" Aiko cursed slightly under her breath, even the young man with the monocle didn't hear it. She dropped all of her shopping bags on the ground and lurched toward the woman. She kneeled on the ground and gave the woman a friendly pat on the shoulder. 

The woman looked at her with a pathetic look. Tears are soaking her face wet. Aiko gave her a reassuring smile. She swept the dust on the woman cheek and helped her to stand up on her feet. Hakkai joined them a little later. 

"Doujibou desu ka?" Hakkai asked the lady worriedly. 

"Doujibou…."she replied with a feeble voice. She looked down to her baby and reassured the little one who has been crying when his mother was shoved to ground. She rubbed her cheek to the babies' and looked up to Aiko and Hakkai. "Arigatou minna-san" she said with a slight tremble in her voice. She was about to walk away when Hakkai grabbed her arm softly. 

"Matte kudasai" Hakkai asked with a voice that managed to comfort her. Hakkai smiled sincerely. The woman halted and waited for the man to say something.

Hakkai glanced at the stall, to the stall keeper who was busy attending to his customer. He seemed to forget what he did before. There was a disgust look in Hakkai's face. Hakkai was about to step toward the stall when Aiko walked passed by him. 

"That man really know how to treat a lady" Aiko said, without even looking at Hakkai and the woman. "He deserved to be thanked for that" Aiko fixed her gaze on the stall keeper. A smile appeared from her cheerful face.

"Aiko?" Hakkai stood dumbfounded at her act. 'This is ridiculous, how can she thinks of thanking that guy?'. Hakkai wanted to grab her arm and asked her "What are you thinking? That man was being rude to this lady and you wanted to thank him for that?". But, instead of stopping Aiko, Hakkai just let her go.

Aiko advanced toward the stall and stopped in front of the table. She looked down to the variety of food arranged on the table and turned to look at the man's face. "What a delicious food you have here" she smiled to him.

"Arigatou" the stall keeper replied with a greedy smile. "All the food is fresh" 

"Hai!Hai" Aiko nodded. She picked a dumpling and held it in her hand. "Er… by the way, what was wrong with that woman just now" Aiko asked curiously. She said what she said as if she was not aware of what has just happened before.

The man grunted. Actually, he was busy attending to his customer that he didn't realized Aiko was the one who helped the woman he just kicked on the face a moment ago. "Ch! Ano baka, she asked for a free food" the man said sternly.

"And you denied her pleas?" Aiko took a paper bag and stuff some dumplings into it. She did not even look at the stall keeper. Locks of hair covered her eyes, giving away a shady spot on her face, mostly on her eyes.

"Of course, what was free in this world?" the man answered sternly. "You have to give something in return for what you get" there was a flicker of anger in his eyes.

"Souka…" Aiko nodded slightly. "Well, never mind. I'll pay for what I'll get" She smiled. "I want that, that, and that, and oh…that too" Aiko started pointing her index finger here and there, all over the food on the table. 

Hakkai who's looking at that scene from afar, shook his head in disbelief.

The stall keeper happily packed all the food she wanted. He seemed to enjoy this customer very much. "That cost you 10 dollars". He handed the pack of food for the girl and waited for the money. Aiko reached for her purse and took out several amount of money before handing them to the stall keeper.

"Please come again" the man bowed slightly to the girl. Aiko smiled. She turned around and took a step away from the stall.

Before Hakkai could even blink, Aiko turned abruptly and punched the stall keeper right on his face. The punch sent that man to flew backward and feel down hard on the ground. He lay still and unconscious on the ground.

Hakkai stared at her sudden act with amazement. He never expected that to happen especially when Aiko acted kindly to the man a little while ago. But then, a thin smile appeared on his lips.

"That's what you get when you treated a woman like that" Aiko gave that man a little advice before she headed for Hakkai and the young mother. "Gomen…"she whispered to the man. She could avoid violence against that man but she couldn't stand it when it came to child and women's abuse.

Aiko smiled at Hakkai and went toward the lady with the baby. She patted the woman's shoulder and looked into her arms, to the little chubby face hid under the blanket. The baby gave a delightful squeak when Aiko tickled his nose. 'He was no more than one year old'. "Your baby was a cutie little pie" she complimented with a sincere tone. Aiko looked up to the mother and smiled.

Hakkai peeked into the woman's arms and came face to face with the baby. The baby blinked once and blinked again. Then he held out both of his tiny and chubby arms and touch Hakkai's cheeks. Hakkai chuckled merrily. He looked into the babies' eyes, he have different eye colors. One of them was blue in color and the other was gold. 'He's like Homura!'. Hakkai gasped.

"He likes you" Aiko tickled the babies' tummy and the baby giggled continuously. He returned her favor by gripping her index finger in his tiny hand. He put her finger in his mouth and sucked on it eagerly until he fell asleep.

"He's so kawaii…I wished I'll have baby as cute as him in the future" Aiko pulled out her finger slowly from the little guy's sucking mouth. She looked at the mother and smiled. "Please take this with you, considered it as a gift from me" Aiko handed her the pack of food, which she bought from the stall keeper. The mother hesitated at her act of kindness. She just stared at the pack blankly.

"Please take it, I'm giving this away because I loved your son" Aiko insisted on her taking that pack. The woman slowly understood. The girl would never give up. She took away the pack and bowed her head to the brunettes. 

"Sankyu" she said faintly. She turned around quietly. She was about to walk away when she turned abruptly and hugged Aiko, which sent Aiko to jerked backward and almost stumble on the ground. Aiko returned that hug with a tighter grip around her shoulder. The woman's cloth that covered her hair fell slowly on her shoulder, revealing a shining golden hair. 

The woman released the girl in her arms and covered her hair with the cloth. She looked toward Hakkai. "I'm sure you two would make a fine couple and a good parents too" she said before she turned around and walked away. "Ja ne"

"Ano…" Hakkai watched the woman walked into the darkness of the night and disappeared into it. 

Hakkai and Aiko stood dumbfounded at the woman's last word. They stared at each other's face and spontaneously turned away. Each of them blushed severely.

Hakkai smiled nervously, the flushes of red on his cheek still visible. "Well…that's a good way to thank a man with disgusting manners" Hakkai took a glimpse toward the stall keeper who's now counting the stars that went twinkled around his head. 

Aiko shook her hand, which she used to punch the man, hastily. Her knuckle had reddened. "My hand still hurts" she smiled.

Hakkai chuckled. He picked up their shopping bags and helped Aiko carried one of hers. "We better get going now, it's getting late and Sanzo was not fond of having to wake up from his sleep and open the door for us" he reminded.

"Eh!?" Aiko looked at Hakkai. "Then what about the chloroform?" she asked.

"Never mind, I'll buy it tomorrow morning" Hakkai smiled. Aiko agreed. Even she was not fond of having to sleep outside the room. They walked abreast toward the inn. What they didn't realize was that someone is spying on them as they entered the inn. 

********************** 

Yumi retreated into the alley. She put the pack down and looked at the two figures stood in front of the door of an inn. The girl and the young man with the monocle, who had helped her a while ago, had just started to enter the inn.

Yumi looked down to her baby. She cuddled him tightly. A tear came down her cheek.

"Gomen nasai… If I never fell in love with your father, this wouldn't have happened" she said softly. She nuzzled her son's cheek lovingly. "I can't let you die" Yumi exclaimed. She looked at the pair, now they were pushing the door and entered the inn. Yumi stepped out from the darkness. She looked around with worried look on her face. She covered her face with her cloak and rushed toward the inn. She entered the inn and looked around. The young couple is walking up the stairs. 

Yumi quickly followed them, but on her way, she bumped into someone. Someone tall and tough.

"Gomen" Yumi said softly. She looked up and found a tall man with red hair staring down at her. The man smiled with guilt.

"Sumanen" Gojyo replied, laughing slightly. "Is your baby all right?" Gojyo was about to look at the baby when Yumi looked up to him. A pretty woman she is, with that golden color of her hair and the lips of deep rose in color. She still looked beautiful despite the bruises on her face.

To Gojyo's surprise, the woman ran up the stairs without saying anything in return for his act of concern. 'At least she could say goodbye'. Gojyo raised his shoulders, "Woman" he sighed and went toward the bar. 'There's no use going back to the room now, I'll be facing a boring monk, a smiling Hakkai and now his clone, and two Gokus, Ermph!'

Yumi sighed. It's not that she wanted to be rude, but she wanted to keep up pace with the brunettes. She looked around as she finally reached the end of the stairs. She managed to catch a glimpse at a closing door and a hand with green sleeve was pulling it softly behind him. The arm no doubt belonged to the man with the monocle. Yumi hastened her pace and tiptoed when she reached in front of the door. 

Yumi looked at her baby, giving him a peck on the cheek and kissed him continuously. "Sumanen…but I have to let you go, you're better off with them" she whispered softly at his ear, hoping that he would understand. Yumi wrapped the baby neatly with a piece of cloth and put the baby basket on the floor, just in front of the door.

Yumi turned away and walked to the stairs. She didn't even turned back for a second glance to her baby. She ran down the stairs with tears falling down on her rosy cheeks like a stream. 

All of a sudden, out of nowhere, a tough hand grabbed her by the waist and pulled her to the side, into the shade at the corner of the inn. She stumbled in someone's arms. Yumi cried in horror as she looked up and found a man with gray hair staring down to her face. 

"Let me go you bastard!" she squeaked when the man tightened his grip on her waist. The man clamped her mouth with his palm and sneered.

"Where's the baby?" the man asked, the tone in his voice was full of terror.

Yumi shook her head as a sign of refusal.

The man grabbed her head, making the cloak that covered her hair fell backward, revealing long golden hair. Yumi cried in pain as the man pulled her hair, hard.

"Where is he?" the man asked again, no more patience in his eyes. 

"I'm his mother, and I'll never let my son die!" Yumi whispered under her breath, weak but sharp.

The man sighed impatiently. He grabbed her chin harshly and sunk his lips into hers. The woman was too weak to fight back. So she just retreated to her own weakness. She was pinned down to the wall, with her arms folded behind her back. She flinched in pain and tried to kick the man. But he was too strong for her.

"Ch!" Gojyo sighed as his gaze connected with two figures in the shady corner of the bar. He turned his gaze away from the two lovebirds, who's kissing passionately in the public. "What happened to the world today? People kissed here and there in the public. Don't they have a proper place to do it? Gesh!"

Gojyo realized something familiar about the woman in the man's arm. The woman has long golden hair. 'The lady was the one who bumped into me just now, where's her baby?'. Gojyo was confused. "Ah… may be she sent the baby to sleep so she could have good time with her husband" he concluded by himself. Gojyo stood up as the couple walked hurriedly out of the inn.

"I will make you suffer until you voluntarily killed your own baby for me!" the man whispered to Yumi's ears. Yumi panted heavily in his arms. Both of them walked out of the inn with him dragging her limp body with force.

********************* 

Hakkai opened the door and looked around. Nothing. He swore he heard something outside the room by the time he closed the door. The sound appeared as soon as he closed the door after Aiko left for the bathroom. 

Hakkai glanced around for the last time and was about to close the door when he heard a ruffling sound at his feet. Hakkai looked down and found a basket covered with a piece of cloth. He bent down.

"Are…?" Hakkai lifted the basket and brought it inside the room. He shut the door quietly behind him. He put it on the table.

"Nanda?" Sanzo opened his eyes at sudden and stared at the basket in front of him. 

"I don't know, somebody leave their belonging at our door" Hakkai explained as the monk yawned slightly. Hakkai looked down to the basket, inspecting what its' content. He's going to reveal what was beneath that cloth when two tiny arms popped out from beneath the cloth. A tiny head with golden hair appeared then, making Hakkai jerked backward and stumbled upon a chair. He fell helplessly on the floor. His smile changed into a groan of horror. 

"Nanda Hakkai?" Sanzo startled at Hakkai's reaction. He hasn't seen what Hakkai had seen. Sanzo rose up from his chair and walked toward the basket. He looked down into the basket and screamed with grimace when two tiny hands reached out from under the cloth and clung to his hair. Sanzo was taken aback. 

"A..a…bab..aa…baby…?" Sanzo stuttered. "How come?" He asked in disbelief. Sanzo took a step backward and tripped over Hakkai. He fell down on Hakkai. The brunette coughed in pain as the weight of Sanzo fell upon him in sudden. 

"Sannzoo?" Hakkai trembled. Sanzo quickly rose up and pulled Hakkai to his feet. Hakkai sighed heavily as the throbbing pain in his chest started to ease. They stared at the tiny infant with bewildered eyes. 

"This baby…" Hakkai is recalling something from his memories from the last few minutes. He advanced forward and took the baby out of the basket. The baby crawled around the table. He found Sanzo's Smith and Wesson and was about to put it in his mouth when Hakkai grabbed it away from his hand. The baby startled. He looked at Hakkai and Sanzo with eyes wide opened. Then he started to weep. His tiny lips trembled and his face distorted with shock. 

"Wargh!!!!!!" the baby cried out from the bottom of his lungs. He put all his effort to cry aloud. 

"Make him stop!" Sanzo closed his ears with his hands. Veins popped out from his forehead. He tried to stay as calm as possible as the cries continued. Hakkai went to the babies' aid and lifted him in his arm. He tried his best to cease the cry but the baby just wouldn't stop.

"Hey! What's all the fuss about?" Gojyo entered the room and astounded by the sound that filled the air around him. He stood with mouth wide opened to the sight of Hakkai who is carrying a baby in his arms. The baby was crying out of his lungs and wailed loudly. "Argh!!" Gojyo yelped in astonishment.

The baby cried even louder due to the red haired reaction.

The cry woke Goku and Kazo up from their sleep. Goku yawned and stretched his hands. "Is it breakfast already?" Goku asked, rubbing his eyes with the back of his palm.

"Oi! Saru, it's not morning yet" Gojyo snapped back. The wailing of the baby made his eardrum pounded heavily, and it's giving him a throbbing pain in the head. "We have more severe problem than that" he slapped the back of Goku's head. The kid jerked forward.

Goku and Kazo glanced at Hakkai, who's holding a baby in his arms. The brunette is trying to calm the baby down by patting his back tenderly. He made a hushing sound in order to encourage the boy to hush. His effort failed. Goku and Kazo jumped from the bed and darted toward Hakkai. 

"Hakkai…Hakkai..is this your baby?" Kazo asked, tugging to the brunette's arm. 

"Hakkai…where does it come from?" Goku jumped up and down, trying to catch a glimpse at the babies' face. 

"Hakkai…why he cried?"

"Hakkai…Is he your secret son?" 

"Hakkai…can I hold him?"

Thousands of questions showered Hakkai at all of a sudden. The question made the brunette felt a little bit dizzy. All the noise seemed to gather beside his ears. His eyes spun and his mind seemed to float aimlessly in the air.

"Urusei!!!" Sanzo cried out loud. The noise ceased, including the cry. All of them stared at Sanzo. Hakkai sighed with relief. 'Sanzo's scream becomes rather useful these days'. Even the baby stared at Sanzo, dumbfounded.

Sanzo grunted. Finally, a moment of silence. But it didn't last as long as he expected. The baby started to wail once more and this time it's louder than before.

Sanzo is getting to his nerve. He took out his harisen and was about to whack the babies' head when Gojyo hugged him from behind. The red haired stopped him from coming near to the baby. "Shi-ne!!" He cursed while struggling hard to free himself from Gojyo's strong hands. "Let go off me you kappa! Let me whack him dead!" he insisted, he swayed his harisen toward the creature in Hakkai's cradle. Hakkai stepped back to avoid the harisen from getting any nearer. Goku and Kazo tried to snatch the harisen but failed.

"What happened?" Aiko suddenly pushed the door opened. She stood still at the door and stared bewildered at the scene. Sanzo's going mad again and he tried hard to free himself from Gojyo's hold. She looked at Hakkai and rushed toward him when she noticed the wailing baby in the man's arms. 

"This is the baby from last time" Aiko gawked at the baby. She took the baby into her arms and patted the little guy affectionately. Amazingly, the baby stopped crying as soon as he settled in Aiko's cradle. He sobbed faintly. Aiko hugged the baby closer to her chest. The baby eased down a bit and sunk himself into the warmth of the girl's arms.

Sanzo, Hakkai, Gojyo, Goku and Kazo startled at her act of tenderness that caused the baby to stop sobbing, and by now he's starting to sleep in her arm. The baby wrapped Aiko's neck with his small arms and placed his tiny chin onto the girl's shoulder. His eyelids are dropping down and he yawned slightly. It was obvious that he's trying to fight sleep. 

Aiko smiled, she patted the babies' head and stroked his golden hair to the tip of its' root. She hummed softly to the little guy's ear and rocked her arms. It doesn't take long for the baby to fall asleep. Hakkai smiled to that tenderness of hers.

The bishounens sighed with relief. Gojyo received a blow on his head, courtesy of Sanzo's harisen. He released the monk as he realized he's still holding the monk's waist. Sanzo grunted and sunk onto a chair.

Aiko looked at Hakkai with a sharp glare. "Hakkai, I demand an explanation" Aiko insisted. Hakkai chuckled edgily.

"Yare…yare…." He sighed as he rubbed his throbbing ears.

To be continue…….

************************* 

Ayie: I guess those who wondered about the pairings already got the answer to their questions ne? ^___^.  Please review and tell me if you like it….so, I can carry on to the next chap.

Gojyo: Not fair….Sanzo whacked my head a lot more than the saru…

Goku: Don't call me saru, you red haired cockroach. tugged at Gojyo's hair

Gojyo and Goku: * Fighting *

Ayie: * sweat dropped ^o^``* I got another plan for Sanzo…


	6. The Mission

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters of Gensomaden Saiyuki. They honorably belong to Minekura-san Sensei.

Ayie: For those who reviewed my fic, thanks a lot. I appreciated your reviews, it helped me to make my fic better and your reviews did encourage me to keep on writing. Arigatou minna-san…. Do tell me if the fic bored you and help me to make it more interesting…. ^c^

Gojyo: You mentioned about having another plan for Sanzo…. What was that?

Ayie: Hai ?….dazed Hai! Hai!….chuckled nervously. Gomen….I forgot. Actually it's not in this chapter….But it will come for sure…

Sanzo: Don't you dare…. Shi---ne!! whacked Ayie severely

Hakkai, Goku, Gojyo and Kazo: * grabbed Sanzo and kept him away from Ayie

Ayie: Wails  sadly Wargh!!….. hu…hu…I'll make you pay for this..clutched head

Aiko: Na…na….ayie-san…hush now…gave Ayie a peck on the cheek 

Ayie: * continued sobbing*

*************************************** 

Chapter 6 – The Mission

Aiko looked at her roommates. Every one of them seemed to be tensed, except for Goku and Kazo, who are now watching the baby adoringly. The baby is still sleeping after Aiko tucked him to bed moments ago. Aiko sighed deeply and shook her head. She crossed her arms in front of her chest.

"Why would she abandon her baby like this?" Aiko just couldn't take it. Hakkai explained to her that the baby was found in front of their door without any signs of his mother around. It was absurd, judging on how the mother protected her baby before. Even Hakkai seemed to be having doubt about the idea that the mother abandoned her baby for no reason. "I mean, when we met her on the street, she's willing to be kicked off just to get some food for the baby" Aiko rubbed her aching temple. Thinking made her head ached.

"Matte, are you saying you've actually meet the mother and know how she looks like?" Asked Gojyo. Aiko and Hakkai nodded. "What are we waiting for? Let's go and find her, we'll give the baby back to her" Gojyo rose up from the floor, which had been his resting place since the last time he let go off Sanzo.

Hakkai and Sanzo stood up, ready to go. "Can you stay here with them?" asked Hakkai, looking toward Aiko. Aiko glanced at Goku, Kazo and the baby. She smiled and turned her gaze to Hakkai. Hakkai quickly understood the meaning of that smile. 

"How can we recognize her?" Sanzo asked coldly. He headed toward the door and turned the knob. He was not eager of having another little brat with them in that room for tonight since he already got caught in with two of them. 

"Well, she's beautiful…. Fair skin… Lips with the color of deep rose…" Aiko is recalling what was left in her mind on the figure of the lady mentioned. She is trying hard to recall something obvious about the woman, something that might help them to recognize her even better. 'Well, it's rare for a female human to have golden hair…Golden hair?'. "Ah! She has marvelous long golden hair" Aiko snapped out.

Gojyo stood dazed at the last words uttered by her. 'Golden hair?'.  "Does she has bruises all over her face?" Gojyo stared at Aiko. He waited for her answer with his heart pounding hastily. He felt as if his chest is going to blow up any second now. 

"Hai!" Aiko agreed. "She was totally battered up" she recalled something. The woman looked terribly frightened. Her face clearly showed the look of dread. "May be she's in danger? So, in order to save her baby, she left him to us" Aiko made a wild guess. 

"Who cares?" Sanzo wasn't in the mood for silly guesses. "I just want to get rid of him as soon as possible" he pulled the door opened. He looked at Gojyo as the red haired lazily leaned his back to the wall.

Gojyo descended back on the floor. He felt sudden feeling of fear and guilt in his heart. Now, he remembered the look of terror in the woman's eyes as the man with the gray hair is locking lips with her. Everything was made clearer to him now. Now, he realized that the crystal like fluid that streamed down on the woman's cheeks were tears. Now, he realized that the gray haired man wore a chain-like yoryuku limiter at his neck. What a fool of him not to realize all of that sooner. 

"Gojyo..? Doujibou desu ka?" Hakkai asked out of concern. A moment ago Gojyo was the one to get too energized about finding that woman, now he's the one to get so downcast.

Gojyo shrugged. "We're not going to find her" he said it under his breath. "She was captived by a youkai a moment ago" Gojyo explained, making his companions stammered in shocked.

"Youkai…? You saw her and yet didn't do anything?" Goku fumed. He was not fond of hearing about someone being in trouble. He stood in front of Gojyo and hit that man hard on the head. Gojyo leaped forward and strangled that young heretic.

"Kono baka saru!!" Gojyo shook Goku hard. Meanwhile Goku kept on pounding the man's head.  

Hakkai and Aiko sweat dropped. The two never failed to make matter worse.

"Urusei!" Sanzo's paper fan landed on the bishounens' head. The latter two clutched their heads in agony. 

"You know where he took her to?" Hakkai inquired. He looked at Gojyo with a pathetic smile. He knew how Gojyo felt, now that he was not able to help someone in trouble when he actually has the chance to do it. Especially if that someone was a woman. 

"How the hell I would know if I don't even realized that she's in trouble?" Gojyo took Hakkai's question as a silly remark and yelled back at him. Hakkai smiled. Now, he knew Gojyo was really depressed with his inability to help the woman. 

"Yare…yare…" Hakkai sighed. 

"Gomen…" Gojyo almost got choked down with the word as he gazed at Hakkai, who stood smiling at him.

Sanzo shrugged. "Ikuzo!" he ordered. "You said you've meet them a moment ago, they couldn't have gone far" Sanzo stepped out of the room. Hakkai looked at Gojyo with a sorry look.

"You may not be able to help the mother, but if you hurry up you might be able to help the baby" Hakkai exclaimed before he followed Sanzo's pace. Aiko glanced at Hakkai and smiled a ghostly smile.

Gojyo glanced at the sleeping baby. "Help the baby huh?". He slowly rose up to his feet and headed toward the door. "You guys take care of the baby. And saru…stay out of trouble" Gojyo dashed out of the room and joined Hakkai, who is waiting for him at the stairs.

"I thought you're not coming?" Hakkai sneered with a thin smile on his face.

"Who said anything about going with you?" Gojyo crossed his arms behind his neck and walked toward the stairs. "I just want to get some fresh air…the noise in the room made my chest ached" he looked back to the door. Goku is looking at their way.

"Ja na saru!" he yelled as he walked down the stairs. Hakkai followed from behind.

"Kono ero kappa!" Goku lurched to the aisle and swung his fist in the air. But then he smiled slightly. He retreated into the room and slowly pulled the door behind him and walked toward the bed. He joined Kazo, laying on the bed with the baby in between them and looked at him adoringly.

Aiko smiled. Not only because she's witnessing the cutest sight she ever saw right in front her now but also because of the latter event, the event that involved the elder bishounens. 'This people have their own way of worrying about somebody'. 

Aiko stared blankly at the wall. The woman's innocent and fragile face appeared on that wall. The woman with the golden hair is shedding tears of fear. The image from her disturbed mind suddenly changed into an image of another woman, an image of a female youkai with tears falling down on her cheek. Aiko shrugged and took a deep breath.

'Please be safe'. Aiko quietly prayed for the young mother's safety.

************************** 

Goku has been staring at the sleeping baby for over an hour now. He didn't seem to get bored with the task Aiko had appointed to him; taking care of the baby. A moment ago, Kazo and him lay together on the bed by the babies' side and adored the cute face of his. Now, he's the only one left to adore at the little guy's chubby face when Kazo fell asleep a little while before. 

"You're not going to sleep?" Aiko asked with a motherly tone. She just came back from the kitchen to get some milk for the baby, in case he might wakes up hungry in the middle of the night. She's not going to take the risk of getting Sanzo to his nerve again when the baby disturbed his sleep with a loud wail. At least a bottle of milk would help to shut up the chibi's mouth in case that ever to happen.

"Aiko" Goku called out softly, fearing that a loud voice would wake the baby from his sleep. 

Aiko looked at Goku. A pair of round golden eyes shone brightly, displaying the look of innocence on the owner's face, looked up to her face. "Nanda?" Aiko walked gracefully toward the bed and settled herself at the edge of the bed, facing Goku face to face. She stared down to Goku, now sitting cross-legged on the bed. The sleeping dragons at his feet stirred a little as his foot accidentally nudged them. Goku quickly drew his foot away. 

"Were all of us was once a baby?" he asked as he lifted his face and looked at Aiko's face, waiting for a sincere reply.

Aiko nodded. "Hai! You, me, everyone" she answered back. 'There's something bothering the kid's mind, but what?'. Aiko couldn't seem to understand why that question popped out of the boy's mouth. 

"Am I a baby once?" Goku's next question made Aiko stunned. 'Why he even thinks of that question?'. Aiko looked at Goku, whose head hung so low. He is staring at nothing on the white bedsheet.

"Why you'd asked that?" Aiko tried to get the thing clearer for her. 

"Well, I was locked up in a cave on top of Gogyo mountain for over five hundreds years with no memories of my past" Goku replied with a sad tone. Aiko was astounded. "Sanzo found me and picked me up"

"I was ten year old when he found me… But what makes me wondered was that my figure never change during that five hundreds years of captivity" Goku started to sob. His voice was faint and sad, as if he is feeling a great pain in his chest when he's retelling his past.

Aiko is going to ask more question to the boy in front of him when her inner voice said 'No, let him finish. You are not here to revealed his past, you're here because he wants you to listen'

"So, I wondered if, instead of being born as a baby, I was actually born with the body of a ten year old boy" Goku's shoulder trembled. He looked down to his feet. Goku lifted his knees and hugged them in front of his chest. Locks of hair covered his face when he nudged his face onto his knees. But Aiko knew well that the boy is crying.

Aiko felt a sharp blow in her heart, realizing that the kid is crying for his terrible past. 'Whatever this kid did in his past, it's not worth of five hundreds years of being locked up alone. He was still just a kid in him'. Aiko stroked the boy's hair, trying to reassure him. 'Whoever locked him up must had used the frozen spell to freeze his age and body from getting older'

"You know what Goku? I think you were once a cute baby" Aiko mentioned softly. Her voice was so tender and so motherly like that Goku's sobs ceased a bit.

"Nani?" Goku lifted his face and looked up to Aiko. He wiped his tears away with the back of his hand.

"You don't remember anything about things which happened before you're being locked up in that cave don't you?" Aiko gently wiped the tears on the boy's cheeks with her fingers.

Goku shook his head.

"Then, how would you know if you are never a baby before?" Aiko winked at him. "Even I don't remember anything of my own babyhood" She's trying to be logic.

"Honto ni?" Goku started to feel contented.

"Who ever locked you up must have cast a frozen spell upon you to stop the time around you" explained Aiko even though she knew well the boy would never understand her explanation at all. Amazingly, Goku just sat listening to her remarks. "They made the time stopped so you will never grow up"

"But why?"Goku couldn't help himself from asking. It was his nature.

"Hm…" Aiko raised a finger and tapped her temple several times, before she snapped the finger. "May be they didn't want you to get very old, with white beard so long it reached your knees, with wrinkles that make you looked like a piece of cloth or with a bump on your back that makes you looked like a hunchback when you're walking" she took a deep breath after that. She grinned a devilish grin.

Goku's eyes widened with fear. "You mean, I'll be like that by the time Sanzo found me if they didn't cast that…that…fr.." Goku had forgotten the name of the spell. He scratched his head disappointedly.

"Hai!" Aiko nodded eagerly. Finally,her explanation helped the boy the figure out the logic behind it. "So, instead of being the grandfather for Sanzo, Hakkai and Gojyo, you could be the youngest of them all" She thought she was right although she never knew what actually happened.

Goku laughed slightly. He felt a little bit relief. "You really think I was cute?" He asked.

"Hai! Soooo cute that I wanted to kiss you" Aiko kidded around. Goku smiled shamefully at her compliment. "Sleep now" Aiko ordered as she pushed the boy gently to bed and tucked him with a blanket. She stroked the boy's hair gently until the latter fell asleep.

Aiko smiled. She never thought that behind that genki behavior of him, Goku was actually lonely. She never thought someone with the face of such innocence suffered a terrible past that even a normal human adult could never endured.

Aiko gave Goku a peck on the cheek and did the same to Kazo, who's now snoring soundly.

"They're just kids, but why they have to endure such a horrible past?" Aiko asked, most likely to herself.

***************************** 

Aiko rested her chin on her cupped hands. She stared out of the window and gazed at the stars. She counted the stars even though she was well aware that it was an absurd act. Someone once told her that when a person died, his spirit will float on the sky and turned into stars. The stars were actually the soul of their loved ones, looking down at them from the highest place. 

Aiko smiled. She grew up believing that story. When she grew older, she found out that it's only a fairy tale that adults used to tell their kids to put them to sleep. But Aiko never let the story fade from her mind, instead she kept it firmly in her heart, just the way she held the one who told her the story, close to her heart. 

Aiko gazed upon the stars. Among zillions of the stars, there were eight stars that shone so bright that they seemed to emerge magnificently among the rest. Aiko smiled. A thought crossed her mind. The stars must be the souls of her loved ones, staring down at her with their fondest love. 'Ah! What a nice thing to think of'. Aiko shrugged and returned to the chair. 

As soon as she reached the chair, the door cracked open. Three men stood outside the room with a shabby look. Sanzo, Gojyo and Hakkai. All of them looked so worn out and weary. They looked like they could collapse anytime now.

Aiko darted toward them. "Doujibou desu ka, minna-san?" she asked worriedly. 

Hakkai smiled. "Doujibou, we're just a little bit tired" Hakkai replied with a faint smile. They had spent almost three quarter of the night for a wild goose chase. "We couldn't find her" He said at the lowest point of his voice. Hakkai sunk himself into a chair and cupped his face with both hands. Sanzo settled down beside him.

Aiko looked at them with sympathy. She knew the guys were terribly tired and disappointed. He looked at Gojyo. That man was even worse. He looked sad, tired and weary. He collapsed on one of the futons and covered his face with a pillow. A low sad sigh emerged from beneath the pillow. 

Sanzo looked terribly awful. There was a flicker of rage in his eyes and sense of disgust on his face. But the feelings melted away as he gazed upon the sleeping kids. 'World without worries'. It always helped to calm him down by staring at sleeping Goku before. His noisy slumber always managed to cheer his inner self.

"But we did get some information about her" Hakkai exclaimed. "The woman got married with a kami a year ago but the kami was killed during a battle against youkai when the minus wave hit the town" He lifted his face and stared what was outside the window.

'That's explain why the baby has one blue eye and the other was gold'. Aiko glanced at the sleeping baby.

"But then, Baron, the youkai leader, in revenge for his brother's death at the hand of the kami, wanted to kill his descendant, the baby, and make the woman his" Hakkai did all the explanation as the two were not in a mood to start doing one.

"No wonder, she's beautiful" Aiko agreed.

"It's more than that" Hakkai voice was rather faint due to the fatigue that had overtook him. "The youkai leader once fell in love with the lady, but the lady refused as she'd already in a relationship with the kami". 'Some love stories never end huh?'

"The gray haired man was indeed Baron" Hakkai finished his task. He sighed.

"Do you get anything about how to find Baron?" Aiko turned to Sanzo. 'Enough for Hakkai'

"In a mansion at the end of the forest, she might be there" Sanzo replied frigidly. "It takes a whole day to get there and the youkai leader was a day ahead of us" He took off his sutra and his outfit, leaving him wearing the jean and the black suit. 'Tomorrow we rescue her, and that's it… bye bye baby blues'.

"I guess we rest for tonight and think about the problem tomorrow" Aiko suggested. "It might saved us our energy for any unexpected things" She closed all the windows, except for the one near to her futon. She wanted to sleep with the sky above her. Just to watch the stars.

"You are going with us?" Hakkai asked confusedly.

"Hai! You don't want to handle the baby by yourself don't you?" She made a point there. Hakkai smiled. He was sure of the answers. None of them could handle the baby. Judge it from the way they got panic when he wailed crazily.

"Ch!" Sanzo retreated to his futon. It has been a long night and he was tired all over. He laid on the futon and closed his eyes.

Hakkai locked the door and laid himself on his futon, in between Gojyo and Sanzo. Gojyo is still hiding his face under the pillow. But Hakkai was aware the red haired already fell asleep a long time ago. 

"Oyasumi nasai" he greeted both of his friends and Aiko who is blowing off the candle. 

"Oyasumi nasai…minna san" replied Aiko as she laid herself on her futon, pulling the blanket over her. But then, she remembered something. She rose up and lifted the baby from the bed and put him beside her. 'Goku and Kazo might as well pin him down if I let him sleep on the bed'.

Aiko lay on her side, facing the baby. 'Poor little guy'. She let her hand wrapped around the little guy's waist and closed her eyes.

To be continue…..

******************************* 

Ayie: Quite mushy in here….Actually I was wondering the same thing as Goku did. Was he ever a baby before? 

Goku: I am…I am…jumping frantically in front of Ayie

Ayie: Hai! Hai! giggled nervously

  
  



	7. The Starting Line

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters of Gensomaden Saiyuki. They honorably belong to Minekura-san Sensei.

Ayie: Hu…hu… GMS the anime ended today. That's the last for me to see the ikkou live ~__~. 

Sanzo: Are you blind….? We're still here with you…kono baka onna..!

The rest of the ikkou: He made a point there….Looked at Ayie sadly…you forgot about us…

Ayie: chukled with guilt Yare…yare…sumanen minna-san.

**************************** 

Chapter 7 – The Starting Line

The roar of an engine filled the morning air of the forest, waking up all living creatures in it, as the green jeep entered the woods earlier at dawn. The ikkou traveled through the woods in order to get to the castle, the residence of the youkai leader, at the end of the forest. They left the inn at dawn, boarding the jeep half asleep and it looked more like sleep walking for Goku and Kazo. Thanks to Sanzo. He woke up before dawn and splashed a bucket of water on his sleeping companions, urging them to wake up as he ordered them to pack their things for the journey. They left the innkeeper to be totally displeased to see the wet futons and the flooded room.

The great red orb started to rise from the east, and the morning fog slowly faded away. Gojyo yawned noisily. He was about to stretch his arms when he felt a sudden weight stumbled upon his shoulder. Gojyo looked around and found Kazo is resting his head against his shoulder. Gojyo sighed. "Yada yada! What do you think I am? A babysitter?" Gojyo grunted, but he didn't make any effort of shoving the sleeping boy off.

Aiko and Kazo boarded the jeep with them as they need Aiko to look after the baby, and the girl couldn't ride her bike safely with a baby in her arms. Kazo on the other hand, couldn't help much as he didn't know how to ride a bike. After all his arms were far beyond reachable distance to the handle and he is still in his half-asleep state.

The main reason for having the girl with them was that the ikkou didn't acquire the skill of babysitting. They would turn insane the minute the baby starts crying. Don't put the blame on them because boys will always be boys. 

Aiko smiled, seeing Gojyo's reaction as Kazo's head dropped to his shoulder. Even Goku slept soundly with his head rested on Sanzo's back. A moment ago when Goku's head tilted and leaned against his back, Sanzo was taken aback. Veins popped out everywhere on his head as he turned to whacked the boy's head, but seeing the sleeping figure, Sanzo just sat back silently and let the boy's head leaned against his back without a word escaped from his mouth. 

Hakkai glanced to the rear-view mirror on the windshield and studied the image in it. He smiled when he saw the image of Gojyo and Kazo. 'They looked like brothers'. Both of the red haired seemed to be enjoying each other companies when they are not bickering. Hakkai liked the peaceful air that occurred when passengers at the backseat were asleep. Sanzo hasn't yet wasted another bullet of his shoureiju to the air and another smack on any heads at the backseat from his harisen for today.

"Aiko, you did a great job handling the baby" Hakkai complimented with a smile on his face. "He hadn't cry since we left the inn". 

As soon as Hakkai finished his last word, the baby in Aiko's cradle stirred restlessly and squeaked with discomfort. Aiko started to get panic, as she knew what's going to happen. The baby opened his mouth and wailed out loud. The baby swung his chubby arms in the air.

            'Yare…yare…. There's go me and my big mouth' Hakkai sweat dropped. 

"Hakkai! Next time don't you dare say the word 'cry' when the baby is around" Gojyo jerked up and shook Hakkai's shoulder. His sudden move made Kazo suffered the impact of having his head bumped onto the seat. The red haired boy opened his eyes on the spot.  

"Ittai…" Kazo rose up and rubbed his aching head.

"Arara…."Hakkai's eyes spun wildly and his head jerked back and forth as Gojyo shook his shoulder crazily. Gojyo is getting crazy again. 

Aiko sweat dropped. She patted the baby in her arms edgily. Not knowing what caused the baby to cry at sudden was a disadvantage. But then, the babies' stomach grumbled out loud. 'So, that's it…. He's hungry'. Aiko looked at Gojyo.

"Eh…what happened? Are we stopping for lunch?" Goku snapped his eyes opened and yawned. He gawked at the sight of the wailing baby in Aiko's arms and quickly undertood what's going on. He clamped his mouth shut.

"Gojyo!" Aiko called for the red haired as she glanced at Sanzo. That monk looked terribly enraged and he could probably burst out any moment now. Gojyo froze and gaped at Aiko.

"Nanda?" Gojyo was pale all over as Aiko looked at him with a devilish grin. "Why are you looking at me like that?" he felt a sudden feeling of fear.

"Onegai! Can you hold the baby for me?" Aiko looked at Gojyo with a puppy look and eyes that shone as bright as the stars. Gojyo jerked back, eyes and mouth wide opened and his hair stood upright. "Pweeaseee" Aiko plead, blinking her eyes several times.

"Why….why me?" Gojyo stuttered.

"He's hungry, so I want to get the milk" Aiko explained as she kept on smiling. "I want you to hold the baby because you looked soooo kawaii with kids in your arms"

Gojyo sweat dropped. 'This girl is making me crazy'. But he could not win over women. He grunted and reached out both hands without looking at Aiko. Aiko grinned as she put the wailing baby in Gojyo's offering arms and reached out for the baby basket. 

Gojyo looked down to the creature in his arms. He held the baby away from his body as the baby struggled restlessly in his hands. "Will you please hurry up?" he shook the baby to stop him from crying. Actually he tried to rock the baby, just the way Aiko did last night. What he didn't know was that he did it wrong. 

Sanzo's paper fan landed on Gojyo's head without alarm.

"Oi! Nande sun dai yo?" Gojyo still hold the baby firmly.

"Are you trying to kill him by holding him like that?" Sanzo pointed his finger to the baby. Gojyo looked at the baby. The baby flailed helplessly as Gojyo held him upside down. His cries got even worse and louder than before. Gojyo quickly held him in an upright position. The little guy's face was flushed red.

"You should hold him close to your chest" Kazo tried to help. Gojyo looked at him with doubt but then the elder red haired cradled the baby close to him. The baby babbled softly and rested himself in Gojyo's arms. He stopped crying and started to sob. 

"Ah! He stopped crying!" Gojyo was awestruck. The technique did worked. "Ha! Ha! Ha!" he laughed like a villains in the movie. Hakkai chuckled at that man's attitude while Sanzo sighed with disbelief. Goku and Kazo grinned devilishly.

"Oi kappa! I don't know you are such a good babysitter" Goku teased the man. He knew Gojyo wouldn't fight back as he's holding such a fragile creature in his arms. 

"Heh! Thanks to you, I got all the experience from babysitting you" Gojyo never failed to strike back on the spot. Goku pouted. Now, he's the one who could not fight back, fearing he would hurt the baby. "Ho…! Ho…!" Gojyo laughed hysterically. At sudden, a foul smell filled the air.

"Eu…what was that smell?" Goku pinched his nose, so did Kazo as the smell got even worse. Gojyo's face was distorted as his nose wrinkled to the smell. He sniffed around, he was sure the smell came from near him or worse from under him! He looked down and found a stinky stain on the babies' diaper.

"Argh!" Gojyo howled with disgust as he immediately held the baby away from him. Every one of them got a distorted face. 

"Oro…time for nappy change!" Aiko smiled edgily. 

"UWEEK!!" Gojyo, Goku and Kazo turned their heads outside the jeep and started to puke.

"Ch!" Sanzo's nose wrinkled as he's vainly tried to prevent himself from vomiting.

"Kyu…kyu…" Even Harkuryu and Nimmiku cooed in vain.

"Yare…yare..desune" Hakkai smiled. He slowed down the jeep.

***************************** 

Goku and Kazo sat beside Aiko, watching the girl to finish her task, cleaning the baby and change his diaper. Everything that has Dai in it would fascinate them inside out. The baby was named Dai, a name picked up by Sanzo when Goku plead him to name the baby with his puppy eyes. The name escaped from Sanzo's mouth in a matter of a second. When they asked them why he picked up the name, Sanzo simply answered "You wanted a name, so that's a name". Actually Goku wanted to name the baby but Gojyo and Hakkai protested. Even Aiko seemed to disagree with the name he picked up. He was to name the baby after a food, Chop Suey! Dai sounded okay, after all it was given by Sanzo. Everything from Sanzo was good.

"Aiko!" Kazo broke the silence.

"Nanda?" Aiko still busy with her task that it does not allow her to pay much attention to Kazo and Goku. The boys sat next to her, watching as she's completing her work. They kept staring since Hakkai stopped the jeep so she could clean Dai.

"How do you know whether a baby is a boy or a girl?" asked Kazo, which caused Aiko to clamp her lips. The question even struck Sanzo, Hakkai and Gojyo to stammer.

"Sorewa…" Aiko was thinking of the best way to answer the question, so what will come out later would not embarrassed her. It took her quite some time to think of the answer. She looked at the baby and an idea suddenly popped out from her brain. "You see… a baby boy has a foul smell and a baby girl does not" her answers resulted silent protests and grunts from the older males.

"Honto?" Goku was amazed. He sniffed at Dai, who wasn't properly cleaned and jerked back with a distorted face. Harkuryu perched on Goku's shoulder, joining him to sniff at the baby. And poor Harkuryu, he just flew away, breathless. Nimmiku flew after Harkuryu.

Goku vomited again. The smell was bad! Goku's nose wrinkled as he looked back at Dai. "Yurkh! Dai was a boy for sure!" he confirmed his thought.

Aiko smiled with relief. Hakkai laughed slightly as Gojyo rolled on the ground, laughing his heart out. Sanzo smiled a ghostly smile and was able to hide it somehow. They may totally disagree with Aiko's answer but it did help.

"Aiko?" Goku called out with a flat tone in his voice.

Aiko didn't like the sound of that voice. She thought she knew what was going to come out.

"Can I make Dai mine?" he asked innocently. Goku seemed to be enjoying Dai's company so much that he rarely whined for food that day. They have to admit that. So, it's not weird when he wanted to have the baby for his own sake. "I'll make a good dad"

Hakkai and Aiko were flattered at that remark. 'This is soooo cute'

"Oi saru! The baby has his own mother, get one of your own by making it yourself" Gojyo exclaimed, foolishly. He didn't even realize what the outcome of his silly statement. Hakkai slapped his forehead as Aiko shook her head with regret. 'Don't this man knows how to shut up?'

The red haired silly joke would surely result for another deadly question, a question that they won't be able to answer without embarrassing themselves.

Goku looked at Gojyo. "Eh! You can make a baby?" the question left Gojyo to dumbfound. Now he realized his mistake. He made a big and terrible slip of the tongue. 'Nice going'. 

"Explain it kappa, you're the one who bring it up" Sanzo said coldly. Gojyo stood silent and whistled to himself, pretending to not listening.

Goku turned to Aiko, hoping for the answers.

Aiko sighed. "Gojyo, I'll get you for this!" warned her as she sent Gojyo a deadly glare that promises death. She turned back to Goku. "Well, you need a girl to make a baby" she tried to answer it appropriately, but actually she's running out of idea. 'Why…why…Why I said that? Good, now I'll be facing a bigger problem to explain the continuation' 

"What you should do with the girl in order to make a baby?" Kazo's turn to ask another deadly question. Aiko shuddered. 'Why in the world I even came out with that statement'. She shook her head. 

"You fu…" Gojyo is going to make another slip of the tongue when Hakkai clamped his mouth shut with his palm. Even Aiko darted toward him and stomped her foot on his head. Gojyo fell on the ground with little tiny winy birds flew around his aching head. His eyes spun wildly.

"You don't contaminate their mind with your foul language!" Aiko warned him. 

"Hai hai!" Hakkai smiled a nervous smile to see the girl's sudden reaction. Sanzo sighed. Looks like he doesn't have to use his mighty harisen on that kappa's head for today. 

"Hakkai! Why do we need a girl to make babies?" Goku tugged at Hakkai's sleeve. He wanted the answer right away. 

"Yare…yare" Hakkai sweated and smiled uncomfortably. He wanted to walk away when Goku and Kazo stopped him. "Looks like I cannot escape…" Hakkai rubbed the back of his head and chuckled. 

Aiko laughed slightly. She looked down to Gojyo who was coming around. 'Let the kappa takes the responsibility for his own act'. She turned toward the curious boys. "Boys, you can ask Gojyo about it" she sneered. "He knew very well how to make a baby"

"Oi! Are you crazy?" Gojyo looked at Aiko with surprise. 'Now, he's damn dead'

"Ah! That's right, ask him" Hakkai agreed to Aiko's suggestion. 'Whatever, just let him be safe from answering the boys' deadly question of the day'. 

"Hakkai! Don't you dare!" Gojyo warned as he glanced with dread to the two boys marching toward him. 'Shall he tells them the truth?'. He looked at Sanzo. The oh-so-high Sanzo-sama seemed to have the most comfortable moment. 'That's right, troubled the monk'

"Ask Sanzo…after all he's a mo…"Gojyo was about to continue when all of a sudden Sanzo appeared behind him with his Smith and Wesson pointed to Gojyo's head.

"One more word and you're dead" warned Sanzo, ready to pull the trigger.

Gojyo raised a white flag and stared at Sanzo with eyes in tiny dots. He sweat dropped. 

"Gojyo!" Goku and Kazo claimed for the answers.

Gojyo looked at Aiko. She's giving him a warning glare that probably says 'Foul language and you're dead meat'. He turned to Sanzo, the monk gave him the same glare except that he's holding a gun in his hand. Hakkai on the other hand, just smiled.

"Ch!" Gojyo sighed. Today wasn't his lucky day. "I'll tell you when you two were old enough" he said at last.

"I'm already five hundreds year of age" protested Goku.

"Hai! But you have a brain of a five year old baka saru and the kiddo next to you was not any different from you" teased Gojyo.

Goku and Kazo exchanged glances. "Don't call me saru! Kono ero kappa!" Goku was the first one to yell at Gojyo. He tugged at the locks of hair on Gojyo's head, causing Gojyo to yelp in pain.

"And don't call me kiddo!" Kazo followed then. He leaped up and landed on Gojyo's head, causing the red haired man to stumble on the ground.

"Let go off me you sarus" warned Gojyo, as he pounded continuously on Goku's head and tried with vain to shove off Kazo from his head. The war started.

"URUSEI!!" Sanzo's harisen smacked Gojyo, Goku and Kazo right on their heads. The trio let go off each other and clung to their heads, moaning endlessly. 

"Sanzo…it's not my fault…" Goku cried.

"I'll kill you if you don't shut up right away!" warned Sanzo, vein popping out of his forehead.

"Ma…ma Sanzo" Hakkai tried to calm the raging monk. "We need to find food for lunch" 

The word 'food' made Goku and Kazo completely forgotten of their latter question. At the same time, their stomach grumbled.

"Harahetta!" both of them cried.

The elders of the group sighed with relief. 'They forgot'

"Okay, we need volunteers, who'll go and collect the firewood?" asked Hakkai. Nobody raised a hand. Hakkai sweat dropped.

The decided who should do the chores by using paper-rock-scissors cast. They cast it in three round. The first two to lose will get the firewood, the second pair will go fishing and the last two remained would stay and looked after the baby.

Goku and Gojyo were the first to lose, followed by Hakkai and Kazo and the last one remained were Sanzo and Aiko.

"Argh! Why did I always end up with this saru!" Gojyo grunted as he was assigned to collect firewood with Goku. 

"Don't call me saru! Kono ero kappa!" Goku kicked Gojyo's foot, causing the latter to hop around on one foot. Gojyo chased Goku into the wood when the pain in his foot eased.

"Looks like we're going fishing ne Kazo?" Hakkai looked down to Kazo. He patted the boy's head.

"Oki!" Kazo chirped merrily.

"Soreja" Hakkai greeted their last remaining companions as they walked abreast toward the river. 

'Hai…. Looks like I was bound with the boring monk and a baby who doesn't know how to speak'. Aiko shook her head. She looked at Sanzo, the man was reading a newspaper. Her lips curled slightly. She went back to her incomplete task, attending Dai. 

"The monk will not say anything, it will get a little bit boring here so it's up to you and me to cheer things up" Aiko said softly to Dai, holding the baby high up in front of her face. She made funny faces to the little boy and Dai giggled happily, amused at her face. 

Aiko sat cross-legged on the ground and put Dai onto her lap. She held a bottle of milk for Dai to suck on. She held the bottle in one hand and rested her chin on another. Aiko was completely exhausted. Fatigue had overcome her since Dai appeared. She hadn't had a good rest for few days now, even before she met the ikkou. 

Sanzo looked up to Aiko from the corner of his eyes. He could clearly saw that the girl was overtaken by fatigue and the lack of sleep. She hadn't had a good night sleep last night. In fact she wasn't sleeping all night long. They could hear her talked to the baby, assuring him to sleep. Aiko was the only one to survive his splash of life later in the morning. Sanzo woke up to find Aiko already packed their things up and prepared their breakfast.

"Oi! Are you going to doze off?" Sanzo asked in a stern voice. He didn't even turn his gaze toward her.

Aiko startled. 'Was the fatigue too clear on her face that the monk could see it?'. Aiko smiled. "Iya!" she  replied. The baby on her lap has already finished his last drop of milk and now he's dozing off to dreamland.

Aiko carefully lifted the baby and placed him in the baby basket, nestling him in the warmth of the wool blanket. Smiling at that sight, Aiko then leaned herself against a tree bark. She stretched her legs and crossed her arms in front of her chest. She sighed and glanced around. 

The sound of the river made Aiko fell silent. That sound reminded her of someone, someone very dear to her heart and someone who taught her how to love and to be loved.

*************************** 

Hakkai glanced at Kazo from the corner of his eyes. That young half-breed is gathering water from the river by using a bucket he found drifting in the water. That kid managed to lift the bucket full of water with less effort than he expected. That seemed abnormal for the strength of a ten year old.

"I think we have enough fish for lunch?" Hakkai asked for any comment, or rather a compliment if he was judged by the amount of fish, which was mountain-high.

Kazo gaped at that sight. Jaw dropped. "That was huge!" the words escaped from his mouth unexpectedly.

Hakkai smiled, he was well aware that the fish he caught would never fill Goku and that boy would still starved throughout the day.

"Can I have it all?" Kazo looked at Hakkai with puppy eyes.

Hakkai gulped. "Yada…yada…" he scratched his head. 'Oro…I guess the fish was not enough after all, now that we have two growing kids on board'. He smiled at Kazo. "Well, I think I have to fish for more" he said.

Kazo chuckled. "No need, I was just kidding!" he mentioned, making Hakkai sighed with relief. "After all Aiko won't let me eat all that, she said I'll just put myself to sleep" he continued happily. He helped Hakkai tied the fish together with a string.

Hakkai glanced at Kazo. The kid was just as innocent as Goku. Both of them have bright eyes that bring delights to others.

"Why are you going to the west ne Kazo?" asked Hakkai. He couldn't help wondering and later asking for answers.

"We were summoned" Kazo replied so simple that Hakkai could not get the hint of the real situation. The boy seemed to not realize the elder's intention.

"Summoned?" Hakkai couldn't stop asking. He wanted to know more. "By whom?"

"I dunno" answered the boy naively. "A woman, she always came to us at night and gave us orders" Hakkai was taken aback by that latter answer.

"She always gave Aiko a peck on the cheek and Aiko would fall asleep soon after" Kazo continued. "Aiko hated her for that but I kind of like that woman and I really hoped she would come and visit us more often" he lifted the bucket of water, waiting for Hakkai to move.

"Why?" Hakkai rose up, lifting strings of fish to his shoulder. Now they are heading back to their campsite.

"Well, Aiko had this difficulty to sleep, the only time she would sleep for the whole night was the time when the nice lady kissed her" Kazo explained. "I'm grateful for that because Aiko never had a good night sleep since the massacre" he felt sorry for her sister.

"Aiko seemed to suffered nightmares everytime she tried to sleep, her past kept coming back" Kazo could see it clearly in his mind the nights he had been through. Aiko would wakes up in the middle of the night and never give any effort to sleep again. Every night was the same. Never did he wakes up in the morning and found Aiko sleeping soundly.

"What past?" Hakkai asked, trying to unlock the secret.

"Aiko witnessed the death of our family and her fiancée in front of her eyes" Kazo explained. "They died saving her from a youkai clan who wanted to do some crazy experiment on her" Kazo's voice was indeed to low.

"All of them died in her arms" Kazo ended his story with a soft sob under his breath. Hakkai stood silent. He looked at Kazo with sympathy as the boy's eyes started to form pools of tears. The tears were quickly wiped away by a swift movement of his arm brushing his face.

Hakkai's heart torn apart. He stared at the boy whose back now is facing him. He was about to put his hand on his slim shoulder but was taken aback when Kazo suddenly turned around. A smile formed on his lips.

Hakkai couldn't help more but to smile back.

"Harahetta! Can we go back and eat now?" Kazo pleaded, tugging at Hakkai's arm.

"Yare…yare!" Hakkai laughed. "Gomen" he didn't let go off Kazo's arm but he held it firm in his own. He pulled the boy behind him. They walked abreast to the campsite. 

Kazo laughed happily. 'It feels like he's here with me'. He looked up and found a tall man with dark hair of shoulder length staring down to him with a smile on his face. 'Leon?'. The image of the man suddenly vanished, changing into Hakkai. Kazo smiled.

Kazo hugged Hakkai's arm close to him and Hakkai returned that with a warm smile and a tighter grip on the boy's hand. He doesn't know what happened in that boy's past and what was in Aiko's, but he'll soon find it out. 

To be continue…..

******************************** 

Ayie: I've give you the hint of my Ocs past but then for complete background, you would have to wait in later chapters. Arkh! Thanks azzie-san for reminding me about turning on the anonymous review. Actually, I never realized that since I never update the settings…Gomen minna-san, thanks for reviewing. Bows head 

Goku: Ayie-san, how do you make a baby?

Ayie: Oro…? 


	8. The surprise assault

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters of Gensomaden Saiyuki. They honorably belong to Minekura-san Sensei.

Ayie: Wargh!! Goku's never a baby before? 'thanks Az-san and Crissania-san for telling me that'. How sad, he would be sooo cute when he's a baby…Looked at Goku with sorry look. Never mind, you will always be our baby…. Right minna-san? hugged sobbing Goku and glanced toward Gojyo, Hakkai and Sanzo

Hakkai: Baby? I'm not ready to be a father….but he is my lil bro…Chuckled merrily

Gojyo: What baby? How can I have a saru for my baby?

Sanzo: Ch!

Ayie: My…my…that's a rude thing to say Gojyo! rolled a magazine and whacked Gojyo's head Goku: Ho….ho…ho…

************************************** 

Chapter 8 – The Surprise Assault

(At Baron's mansion)

Two dark figures entered the hall and walked toward the throne. As they reached in front of the gray haired man, they kneeled and bowed their heads slightly. They looked up and faced Baron.

"You summoned for us? Baron-sama?" one of the figures rose up. He steeped into the light. Tall, handsome figured and blue haired. His hazel eyes gleamed in the faint light that penetrated through an opening on top of the dome. He wore silver body armor and a sword trusted out from his leather belt. A lock of blue hair swayed aimlessly on his face as a breeze blew on him from nowhere.

Baron, the gray haired guy grunted and nodded slightly. "The baby was with Sanzo-ikkou and they are on their way here to save the mother" He explained. Baron looked down to his first disciple who has led his youkai army during the first battle at the earlier stage of the minus wave. "Lexus, take your army with you and retrieved the baby!" he gave out his order.

Lexus bowed and retreated a few steps before he walked out of the hall.  

Baron looked at the other figure in the dark. "And what my task would be Baron-sama?" a husky voice escaped from between the grinning lips of the figure. Baron smirked. He stared to the bowing man as the man rose up and walked into the light. A man with a well-built body stood in front of him. He has white hair that he tied back into a ponytail. The long black suit he wore swayed to one side as he walked handsomely toward his leader. 

Baron's lips curled slightly. He leaned to his throne on one side and anchored his chin on one hand. "You know your job…Xiang" he uttered with a smirk on his face. 

The man named Xiang bowed his head slightly and looked up to Baron with a grin. "I guess you know Lexus would never complete his task don't you?" he sneered. 

"Lexus? He's just an amateur and you know that" Baron giggled nastily. "I can't depend on him to protect me" Baron sat upright. He stood up and walked down from his throne. 

"Looks like you sent Lexus to his death penalty" Xiang sighed deeply and smiled.

"Something like that" Baron turned to his resting chamber. "You're dismissed" he made a gesture on his hand, signaling the other man to go away. 

Xiang bowed his head to his master's back and retreated into the dark. 

"And Xiang…" Baron's voice from the chamber put Xiang into a halt. "Be prepared to meet your old friend" his master finished his last word as he closed the door behind him.

Xiang smirked devilishly. "I'm waiting for that time" 

*************************** 

"Yare…yare desune…doesn't it sound too quiet today?" Hakkai chirped, hearing no sound from the backseat since they were back on board of the jeep. They were back on road as soon as they finished their lunch, heading to the end of the woods. Since the engine being turned on, Hakkai hadn't heard the usual sound. No bickering between Goku and Gojyo, no Goku's whines for food, no playful screams emerged from Kazo and Goku, no whacking sound of Sanzo's harisen and no gun blast. No sound at all.

Hakkai was not used to that kind of silence. It gave him the creep. Too much silence could kill him.

"They had fallen asleep" came a simple yet meaningful answer from the only conscious figure from the backseat. Hakkai turned his gaze to the rear-view mirror and found of the image of smiling Aiko. That girl was holding Dai in her arms and letting her lap to be Kazo's pillow and her shoulder to be Goku's. Gojyo on the other hand was snoring aloud to the sky, his mouth wide opened.

"Hai hai!" Hakkai shook his head once he turned his gaze back on the road. He laughed slightly as his gaze met Nimmiku, perching on the hood. The she-dragon's wings flailed freely as the wind blew. 'They are indeed a happy couple'

"Naa…Sanzo, you'd finally have the silence you've been longing for" Hakkai said as he waited for the reply. But he got neither a sigh nor a curse, which are the usual responds from Sanzo. He glanced to his side.

Hakkai smiled.

"Guess my recipe today filled everyone" Hakkai said in glee. 

The high-ranked monk was dozed off, sleeping with his head bowing slightly and his arms crossed upon his chest. Low snores emerged from under his breath. 'Everyone was tired from last night event'.

"You are not going to sleep?" asked Hakkai as he glanced from the corner of his eyes to the girl at the back. Aiko was staring at nothing.

"Nanda..?" Aiko seemed to be off track, recalling the question from the brunette driving the jeep. She giggled nervously, one hand scratching her head. "Sumimasen… what's the question? I wasn't listening"

"Gomen…I'm just asking whether you are not going to sleep?" Hakkai repeated his last question. "Am I disturbing your attempt to sleep?" Hakkai's face displayed flickers of guilt.

"Iya!" Aiko laughed slightly. "I was just wondering about nothing, I'm not going to sleep" she explained.

"Arara…nothing ne?" Hakkai seemed to understand. "It's really hard to sleep when there are so much you're trying to forget" He tried to bait the fish out of the water.

Aiko startled at that remark. 'Nothing?'. Aiko smiled faintly, trying in vain to let the guy in the driver's seat thinks that she was all right. Her effort didn't work very well as the man smiled quietly.

"So, you're going to the west in order to stop the revival of Gyumao by the summon of Sanbutusin?" Aiko tried to change the subject to avoid any unexpected question from Hakkai. 

"Hai!" Hakkai replied. "They summoned Sanzo and ordered him to bring us in this journey" He could still pictured in his mind, how it all started. It began three years ago. The journey to the west might have started three months before, but the journey to their new life and friendships started long before that. "It's more like a picnic on a jeep" Hakkai continued. 

"Kyu…" Harkuryu cooed as he heard the word jeep mentioned from his master.

Aiko chuckled but suddenly she fell silent. Aiko looked around. Hakkai too was silent. He looked from the corner of his emerald eyes into the woods alongside the road. 

"Nap time is over ne Hakkai?" Aiko asked with an amused tone.

"Yare…yare…I'm afraid you're right" Hakkai stepped on the brake and put the jeep into a sudden halt, sending everyone on board to jerk forward.

Sanzo moved in time to avoid his head from dashing onto the dashboard, which might cost him to have severe headache. Goku, Kazo and Gojyo stumbled down on the floor. Aiko on the other hand, jerked forward to the front seat, in between Hakkai and Sanzo. Her cheek met Hakkai's. Both brunettes blush, their face flushed the color of their blood.

"Sumimasen!" Hakkai and Aiko apologized to each other at the same time, making them even more embarrassed. Aiko quickly retreated to her seat.

"Oi Hakkai! Do you want to get us killed?" Gojyo cursed out loud as he rubbed his sore head, result from him stumbling to the floor.

"Naaa… Hakkai what happened? Are you avoiding a cat crossing the road again?" Goku yawned.

"Ittai!" Kazo sat up and looked at Hakkai.

"Urusei!" Sanzo yelled out loud. He held out his shoureiju.

"Ma…ma Sanzo" Hakkai sweat dropped. His eyes turned to scanned the area around them. "Save your bullet for our uninvited guests" Hakkai said calmly.

"Nani?" Goku was astounded. He looked around and his smelling sense caught the smell of a yuki. "Youkai!" he exclaimed.

"Nyoibou!" Goku summoned for his staff and soon was holding it in his hands. Sanzo pointed his gun around, ready to pull the trigger toward any moving thing. Gojyo summoned for his shaku jou and stood in a fighting mode. They were all standing in an alert position, ready for a counter attack.

Out of the blue, a large ki-ball came dashing toward them. Unlucky for them, Hakkai hadn't had the time to form an energy barrier.

"Abandon the jeep!" Sanzo cried in alarm. He leaped out of the jeep followed by his companions, right before the ki-ball hit the ground the jeep once parked. Harkuryu managed to changed to his dragon form and flew away just in time before the ki-ball hit him. Loud explosion occurred at the spot.

Along with that explosion, an army of youkai, probably consisted of two hundreds men, appeared from behind the smoke. The army was ready to attack each one of them, now separated from each other as a result from the enemies' first blow

************************** 

Sanzo blasted off another bullet while evading a blow from a youkai's sword. His bullet hit his assailant and turned the latter into dust.

Sanzo turned around and fired his Smith and Wesson toward another youkai who darted furiously to his way. The youkai shattered into dust and vaporized into thin air.

"Where are the others?" Sanzo was getting a bit worried. He looked around while keeping himself busies dodging at continuous assaults from the youkais. No sign of his comrades anywhere around him. That's mean they were somewhere else or he would have heard Goku yelping in glee during his battle, Gojyo showing off his skill with the shaku jou and Hakkai uttering the word "What a peaceful day" while blasting his opponents with his ki-explosions.

"K'so!" Sanzo muttered under his breath. 'They know how to take care of themselves'. He shot another youkai to dust. Ten down, fifty to go. "Ch!" Sanzo grunted. He didn't even have the time to reload his shoureiju. Now he only got one bullet left.

"Run out of bullets, bouzu?" One of the youkai sneered at him. 

Sanzo's vein popped out on his forehead, as he felt rather insulted by the remark. He shot the mentioned youkai with his last bullet, but it was much to his delight. "Not until I shot you right on the head" he replied. Yet, he cannot ignore the fact that he'd waste the last bullet on that worthless youkai when there's still an army of youkai surrounded him with deadly intention. 

"No use beautiful monk, hand us the baby and we'll spare you" one of the youkai reassured with an amused tone.

Sanzo smirked. "Thanks but I don't need that". He reloaded his gun in a swift movement, but the task left him unaware for a moment, giving away for another attack he wasn't able to evade. The youkai's sword slashed his side opened. Sanzo flinched at the sudden throbbing pain in his waist but immediately shot a pair of youkai.

Sanzo gripped his side, now pouring crimson liquid. The liquid streamed down fast, soaking one side of his robe wet and red. Sanzo's grip got firmer as he tried in vain to slow down the stream of blood while shooting another youkai. The youkai took the chance of his slow movement to attack him continuously.

Sanzo gritted his teeth, trying to chase away the stabbing pain. His act made way for a youkai to give him the last blow that will cost him his life. The youkai tossed a spear toward Sanzo, and 'darn' he didn't have the time to dodge it as the spear penetrated the air and darted toward him with great speed.

Sanzo eyes blinked as another figure darted toward him and stood in front of him, in the way of the spear. Sanzo heard a low moan from the figure in front of him. Sanzo stared at the figure standing before him and gawked once he recognized the figure.

"Goku!" Sanzo cried out. There was the spear, stuck in that boy's chest. Goku was staggering on his feet, he leaned on his nyoibou for support. He pulled the spear from his chest and cried with agony. He turned around and faced Sanzo.

"Doujibou desuka Sanzo?" Goku asked, followed by soft hiss. His breathing is getting shallow and faint. Hi gripped his wounded chest tightly.

Sanzo stared in disbelief, crimson liquid poured heavily from Goku's fresh wound and soaking his upper body. 'He was badly wounded, yet he wanted to know if I'm all right?'

"K'so, stop it kono baka saru!" scolded Sanzo, more of worries than anger. He held Goku's shoulders. 'The wound was terribly serious, he's loosing a lot of blood and the wound might involved his internal organs too'. Sanzo grunted. Goku can never survive until the fight is over. 'Where's Hakkai when you need him?'. All of a sudden, an image from his past haunted his mind. The sight of his mentor, Komyou Sanzo, stood before him, blocking him from a youkai's assault. Blood was everywhere and it wasn't his blood, Komyou Sanzo's blood.

'I can't lose him!'. Sanzo clamped when Goku stumbled on him, unconscious. "Oi Goku! Hang on" Sanzo got panic. Sanzo pulled Goku close to him as he shot another youkai.

'The kyumou!' Sanzo suddenly remembered. But then, he stopped. 'I can't use the maten kyumou with Goku's around'. He just realized that he never used the maten kyumou when Goku, Hakkai and Gojyo were in close distance. He always avoided using the sutra, fearing that he would end up hurting or killing his own companions.

"K'so!" Sanzo looked around. The youkai had already surrounded them. 'No way to escape'. Suddenly, all youkai attacked them at the same time but spontaneously being jerked back by some kind of force on top of Sanzo and Goku.

Sanzo startled, there was a large energy barrier surrounding him and Goku. It doesn't belong to Hakkai. At sudden, a figure lurched into the energy barrier and stood right in front of them. The energy barrier vanished and the youkai army started attacking once again.

"Sanzo, get ready to use the sutra" Aiko snapped immediately as she released a ki-blast toward a group of youkai, shattering them into dust. She avoided another attack by jumping high in the air and kicked his opponent's face. She evaded another assault by blocking it with an energy barrier. Aiko fought using the same kind of martial art as Hakkai's, the Xi gong.

Aiko turned around to find Sanzo shooting a youkai to dust. "Sanzo?" Aiko tried to remind him about using the sutra. 

Sanzo turned around to face Aiko. "I can't use the sutra with Goku's around" Sanzo blasted another youkai. "It might endangers him" he fired his gun to a youkai lurching toward Goku.

Aiko looked at Goku while she blasted another ki-ball. She quickly understood. Aiko kicked his opponent which caused him to jerk back, wincing at the throbbing pain in his gut. Aiko fired a ki-ball and without waiting for it to turn into dust, she lurched toward Goku. She formed an energy barrier upon Goku, protecting the little guy in it.

Sanzo quickly makes his move. He put his hands together in a praying mode and started chanting. The sutra on his shoulders started to float on the air, glowing with a purple light. Sanzo kept on chanting as Aiko shielded him with her ki-blasts.

"Purify the evil!" he shouted and pointed his hand to the youkais. Along with that, the sutra slid to every direction and wiped the youkai. The army of youkai shattered into dust. With that, the sutra slid back onto Sanzo's shoulders as a simple scroll with simple writing on it.

Aiko looked around, no single youkai was left on the carnage. She sighed with relief and looked at Sanzo, now stumbling down on earth, gripping to his wounded side. 

Aiko cupped Goku in her arms and hurried toward Sanzo. She held Sanzo's shoulder. "Doujibou ka Sanzo?" she asked, worriedly.

"Doujibou" came the answer. Sanzo gritted his teeth and let out a soft moan. He could not hold it any longer and looked up to Aiko. His vision started to blur. He blanked off.

"Sanzo!!" Aiko screamed in fear.

******************************** 

Hakkai released a ki-ball toward his opponent, vanishing the latter into dust. That was his last opponent after he blasted off around 30 youkais on his own. He looked around, Gojyo was still dealing with his last opponent.

"Hakkai! Watch out!" Suddenly Kazo darted toward him and jumped over his head, kicking a youkai to dust. He landed on the ground behind Hakkai and turned around to face the brunette. 

Hakkai blinked in awe. Kazo's movement was so fast that even he could not caught a glimpse of his act.

"Doujibou desu ka Hakkai?" Kazo looked up to him with a flicker or concern on his face.

"Hai! Hai!" Hakkai giggled edgily as he was not used to receive worried glances from others. Usually he was the one being so concern to keep on asking his companions the same question over and over.

"You're good kiddo!" Gojyo appeared from behind them after he triumphed his own battle.

"I'm not a kiddo!" Kazo protested, showing his fist to Gojyo. Gojyo stuck out his tongue to Kazo, causing the younger half-breed to lurch forward and jumped onto Gojyo's head. He tugged at the older's hair and bit his ear.

"Argh! Get off me, kono gaki!" Gojyo cursed, trying to shove Kazo away from his head.

Hakkai laughed slightly. Gojyo never failed to start a fight with any of the kids, make it Kazo or Goku. But Hakkai had to admit that Gojyo was right. Kazo was indeed a good fighter. He fought together with them and killed more than twenty youkais, all on his own, with his bare hands.

Kazo looked around, to his right and then to his left. He searched for something.

"Where's the other?" Kazo asked, observing the area from the top of Gojyo's head. "I don't see Goku, Sanzo and Aiko anywhere since the fight started"

Gojyo sweat dropped. Now he felt like a firehouse. A vein popped out on Gojyo's forehead. "Get down of my head!!" Gojyo shouted as he tried desperately to pull Kazo away from his head. He pulled Kazo's legs, now embracing his neck, causing him to choke.

Hakkai sighed. "They must have got separated from us when the explosion occurred" he guessed. He looked around, no signs of their companions. He's starting to get worried, especially when he thinks of Aiko who had the baby with her. Her risk of getting badly injured was high, since the youkai were coming after the baby. He knew Aiko had the ability of forming ki-balls, but does she knew how to use it in order to protect herself?

"Oi Hakkai!" gojyo patted Hakkai's shoulder. He had already stopped bickering with Kazo once he realized his friend fell silent at sudden. "Don't worry too much, they will be fine" he said, reassuringly.

"I know Sanzo and Goku would be, but I don't know about Aiko" Hakkai still has the flicker of concern upon his face. Now, even Gojyo was worried. 'She has the baby with her'.

"She'll be fine!" Kazo jumped from Gojyo's head onto the ground. "You might know nothing about her, but I knew her very well" he said it with calm voice. Nimmiku suddenly flew out from nowhere and perched on his shoulder, he patted his sister's pet as the dragon cooed softly. 'I know you missed her, me too'.

Harkuryu, appearing with Nimmiku, perched on Hakkai's shoulder. He licked his master's cheek affectionately as if trying to console the latter. Hakkai smiled endlessly. He's still worried.

Suddenly, Kazo held his hand. Hakkai looked down to Kazo, who was looking at him worriedly. "Don't worry Hakkai, Aiko knew how to take care of herself and judging from the way you two fought just now, I bet Goku and Sanzo were one hell of a fighter too" the kid gave the elder bishounens an innocent smile. His smile succeed in gaining the elders' confidence that everything will be fine.

"If your sister heard what you'd just say, she would surely got pretty mad" Hakkai reminded Kazo about the language he'd just used. Kazo shut his mouth with his palm, realizing his mistake. 'Hakkai was right, he was lucky that Aiko wasn't here with them or else he would surely gained a bump on the head'. Hakkai chuckled in glee.

"Baka!" Gojyo ruffled the young half-breed hair. 'He's only a kid, but still he had the courage to stay calm'. Kazo's hands swayed aimlessly as he tried to smack Gojyo's hands from his hair. 

Hakkai shook his head. "I guess we better start searching for them right away" Hakkai looked around. "Harkuryu, can you please…" Hakkai hadn't finished his last word when Harkuryu flew onto the ground and transformed himself into a jeep.

Kazo and Gojyo stopped bickering. They halted at their recent position. Each one of them were tugging at each other's hair. "Ano?" They looked puzzled. Kazo accidentally pulled out a strand of hair from the kappa's head, making the latter yelped with agony.

"Kono baka gaki!" Gojyo bobbed Kazo's head, and the fight continued. Nimmiku cooed endlessly.

"Which way we should start searching?" Hakkai analyzed the route they should begin with. He looked at Gojyo and Kazo, hoping for answers.

"Eh?!" Gojyo and Kazo startled. They blinked at pointed their fingers into different directions. Gojyo to the west and Kazo to the south.

Hakkai slapped his forehead. 'Why did he even asked?'

"Ikimaska?" Hakkai decided he should lead the way. It will be a waste of time if he was to ask his two red haired companions.

"Hai!" agreed the red haired couple as they let go off each other. They went to the jeep and hopped in. Gojyo sat beside Hakkai. They both knew very well that Hakkai was not even sure about where to start as he just followed his own instinct.

"Are you sure about this?" Kazo glanced at Gojyo and Hakkai.

"It's worth to try since we've got no choice" Hakkai explained. Gojyo looked at Hakkai. Hakkai always had the definite sense when it came to direction matters and he's a good gambler after all. He knew what Hakkai had in mind. He was concerned about Sanzo and Goku, realizing the fact that the two were injuries prone. Not mentioning Aiko and Dai, two of the most fragile beings on earth. 

Gojyo shook his head. 'Sanzo, Goku, Aiko, you guys better be all right'. Gojyo wouldn't admit it but he felt rather worried himself. His face told everything in his mind and Kazo realized that. 

Kazo looked at Gojyo, the older red haired feel silent at sudden. The flicker of concern was clearly shown on his face. Kazo felt rather guilty. He didn't know why. He's not good at saying nice words. Aiko could have done it better.

'Aiko, where are you?'. Kazo surely hoped his sister was there to comfort Hakkai and Gojyo, and perhaps himself. Kazo stood dumbfound, as the jeep started moving into the woods.

********************* 

Lexus drew his binocular down. He looked down to the woods at the foothill. 'So, they managed to escape eh?'.

Lexus turned around to face his remaining army. A whole new army of youkai. 

"Get ready for phase two" he said calmly. The youkai soldiers bowed. 

"We'll see if you'll survive this time Sanzo-ikkou" Lexus grinned.

To be continue….

**************************** 

Ayie: Please don't kill me if the fighting scene was boring ^o^". I was not good at it. 

Sanzo: May be you should take tae-kwondo lessons, then you'll know how to fight….

Ayie: -__-`` 

  
  


  
  



	9. The Old Memories

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Saiyuki characters. They honorably belong to Minekura Sensei. Please don't sue me.

*********************************** 

Ayie: Thanks to everyone who rewiewed this fic, actually this is my first fic…so don't kill me if you don't like it or if you found it worthless. I'm just a simple writer with no experience of writing any fic before. 

Hakkai: Correction….This is your first English and anime-based fic. smiled in glee

Ayie: Hai! Arigatou, Hakkai-san bowed head. But I'm still just a beginner.

Sanzo: Not to mention, you are a crazy writer too…

Ayie: Me? Crazy? -__-+….you might got it right chased Sanzo around the table

Hakkai: Ma…ma…Sanzo, Ayie-san….calm down… O__^"

************************************  

Chapter 9 – The Old Memory

_"Koryuu the river-drifter…Koryuu the river drifter…" a group of boys danced frantically around him. One of the boys pushed him, causing him to jerk backward and fell into the river. Koryuu doesn't make any effort to get up, he just hung his head low. _

_"That's where you belong, you river-drifter" a fat boy pointed his finger at him. As soon as he finished teasing him, the boy along with his friends left him, alone in the river._

_'River-drifter huh? Koryuu stared into the crystal clear water, counting the fish swimming in it. _

_"Doujibou desu ka, o-nii-chan?" a soft and sweet voice appeared from the riverbank._

_'O-nii-chan?'. Koryuu looked up and found a little girl, much younger than him, staring down at him with a flicker of concern on her face. The girl went in the river and walked surpassed the swift flow of the river, heading toward him. She stood right in front of him, with a sweet smile on her tiny peach colored lips. _

_"Doujibou desu ka, o-nii-chan?" the girl repeated her question and held out a tiny hand to him._

_Koryuu stared at her with disbelief. But then, he smiled and took the hand with his own. The girl pulled his hand and helped him stood upright. "You shouldn't let them bully you like that…" the girl coaxed him toward the riverbank. _

_"They always did that, I'm used to it" he replied. The girl sighed and shook her head. The ponytails, which she tied her hair into, swayed to the left and right when she moved her head like that. "After all oshio-sama wouldn't want me to fight back"_

_"Oh…if that so, next time I'll fight them for you" the girl smiled in glee. She held her chubby hands in tight fists. "I'll punch them right on their face" The girl pretended to punch something, but the result, she swung around and fell tremendously in the river. Splashes of water hit Koryuu and soaked him wet, again._

_"Ekk…! Gomen!" the girl chuckled nervously as he looked at her with bewildered eyes._

_He held out a hand and let the girl took it in her hand. She pulled the girl up and they stared at each other. After a second, they burst out into laughter. "What's your name?" the little girl asked him with the sweetest smile he ever saw._

_"Koryuu" he answered, softly._

_"Koryuu?" the girl fell silent. "My name is Reika, Koryuu-nii-chan" the girl grinned a childish grin as she looked at Koryuu. Koryuu startled._

_"Sanzo" where's the hell do that comes from? What's that voice? He looked at Reika as the little girl slowly vanished into thin air. 'Reika?'. Reika disappeared into thin air like a puff of smoke, along with that sweet smile of hers._

_"Reika!!!" Koryuu cried out loud._

_"Sanzo" _

_******************************* _

"Sanzo?" Aiko patted Sanzo's cheek several time. She looked down to that unconscious monk with an anxious glance. "Don't die on me" She became terribly horrified by the time Sanzo blanked out a moment ago. The monk's breath was shallow and faint. Aiko started to cry. She didn't know why there's a sudden fear, emerged from her heart, fear of losing the man in front of her.

"Don't die…" Aiko wept and pled for that man to wake up. "Don't die on me like the other did" she whispered, clinging to his robe and slapping his face, softly. "Wake up, you stupid bouzu!" Aiko yelled to his face.

Suddenly, the man's eyes snapped open. "Do you want to die?" He cursed out loud. He looked at the girl with a tired look. "And why are you crying?" Sanzo asked when he saw the tears streaming down the girl's cheek.

Aiko let go off her hand from the monk's robe. Immediately, she rose up and looked away. "Who's crying? I'm not crying…it's just that I got something in my eyes" she gave out fake reason. "And you…how come you dozed off just now, it's not that your wound was sooo bad!!" she sneered even though she knew it well it was wrong.

"Ch!" Sanzo grunted as the pain on his waist started to throb. The wound is still pouring down crimson liquid. Aiko quickly turned to his aid.

"Doujibou desuka ?" Aiko asked out of concern.

"Doujibou" Sanzo replied as he clung to his wound to stop it from bleeding more. 

"Then, may be I could attend Goku first" Aiko turned to Goku, who was leaning unconscious against a tree bark next to Sanzo. The boy was seriously wounded. The wound in his chest was pouring large amount of blood. The boy's chest heaved with painful breath. His breath was so shallow. Deep moans could be heard down his throat.

"Will he be okay?" Sanzo asked as he sat upright, leaning himself against a big rock. 

"Let's see what I can do" Aiko laid Goku on the ground. "Is it okay for me to attend to you later?" she asked, glancing at Sanzo's pale face. 'That monk's wound is ain't any better'.

"Do not waste your time, baka!" Sanzo said sternly. 

"Hai!" Aiko giggled nervously. She stripped off the boy from his shirt and checked the injury. 'The wound is indeed serious, but no important organs got harm'. She sighed with relief. Aiko put her hand on Goku's wound and a faint pink light gleamed in between her hand and Goku's wound. The wound started to close and the blood started to vanish bit by bit. In a matter of a second, the wound was healed, leaving only a scar with a thin trickle of blood. 

Sanzo sighed with relief. 

Goku suddenly opened his eyelids, revealing a couple of golden orbs staring to the sky. He blinked once and then blinked again. The kid looked around and suddenly jerked up to a sitting position. He hissed at the throbbing pain in his chest. He gripped his chest, no wound but the pain inside is killing him. A warm and tender hand touched his thin shoulder, sending a comfort down to his chilly body.

"Don't move too much" a soft voice. Goku looked up and found Aiko smiling at him with an assuring smile.

"Nani?" Goku looked confuse. 'Where's all the youkai? Why Aiko's here?'

"Your outer wound might have been healed, but the inner wound wasn't properly healed" Aiko explained as she stopped Goku from moving around. "It may takes some time, so don't let it got worst than ever" she warned with a soft and motherly voice.

Goku nodded. "What happened?" He remembered he was fighting an army of youkai when he heard gunshots from afar. He ran to that direction and found Sanzo being surrounded by swarm of youkais. A spear was tossed toward Sanzo and the monk didn't have the time to avoid it. The last thing he remembered, he lurched in the carnage and stood in front of Sanzo. That's it.

"Sanzo! Sanzo! Where is he?" Goku got panic as he looked around like crazy. Before he could turn next to him, a paper fan whacked him hard on the head.

"Ittai!!" Goku cried out loud, clutching his head with his hands. Quietly, he smiled with relief. He knew the paper fan would only belong to Sanzo. "Nande sun dai yo?" he rubbed his head, looking at Sanzo.

"What do you think you were doing back then? Committing suicide?" Sanzo scolded the young heretic. Aiko smiled. Sanzo is being Sanzo again.

"Ano…" Goku gulped. He didn't know what he was thinking at that time. Nothing, he just didn't want to see Sanzo got hurt. 

"Kono baka…urgh!" The stabbing pain on his side took Sanzo aback. He clutched at the wound and bent down, trying to ease the pain. Sanzo moaned beneath his breath.

"Sanzo!" Goku started to get panic. He rushed to Sanzo and held the monk's shoulder. Sanzo was indeed in great pain, as he didn't fend off Goku's helping hand, which he usually did when the saru showered his concern upon him.

"Ma…ma…Sanzo, let me see your wound" Aiko moved toward Sanzo and Goku. Sanzo's face was getting paler and his breath was becoming harsher. She pushed Sanzo's body softly until the man was leaning back to the rock behind him.

Goku stared at his guardian with a worried glance. He looked even worse than Sanzo. Goku tugged at Aiko's arm and shook it madly. "Can you help him? Can you? Can you?" asked Goku, not able to shut his mouth from asking. 'Can't blame him, when it come to Sanzo, Goku would always turned berserk'

"Urusai!" Sanzo shouted, Goku's whining just made his pain worse. This time, he didn't whack Goku's head with his harisen, suggesting that his pain was making him weak. His body was getting numb due to the pain. Goku cupped his mouth shut with both palms. He's not taking any risk of making Sanzo's wound worse than it is now or he's the one who'll be having a severe wound on his head.

Aiko shook her head in disbelief. 'This monk is in great pain, yet he still has the energy to shout out loud'. A thin dark lock swayed on her forehead as she shook her head. She brushed the lock to the back and started attending to Sanzo's wound. The wound was horrifying, an inch deeper and it will expose the monk's kidney. With a deft movement of her hand, Aiko lifted the shattered robe and examined the wound. But she found the robe annoying, as it kept falling on the wound every time she wanted to heal it. 

"Sanzo, I need to take off your robe" Aiko said, as if to ask the monk's permission to carry on her task.

"I'll kill you if you do it" Sanzo warned. He's blushing despite of the color of pale shown on his face.

"I don't buy that" Aiko argued back. She took off the breastplate on Sanzo's robe. No protests from the blonde guy. But when it's time for her to take off the monk's robe, Sanzo smacked her hands aside. Aiko shook her head and give it one more try. Again, her hand was smacked away. There was vein popping behind her locks of hair.

Patiently, Aiko tried again. And for the third time, Aiko's hand being smacked away. Aiko muttered something beneath her breath. 'Okay, that's it, I could not take it anymore'

"Genjo Sanzo!" Aiko called out loud, with an annoyed tone. Her face turned crimson red as her cheek flushed with anger. And if they could look any closer, Goku and Sanzo swore they could see smokes puffing from both ears of hers. "You better let me take off your robe and treat your wound or I'll kiss you!" she warned. A pair of sapphire blue eyes stared down at Sanzo with rage.

Sanzo startled at the last three words uttered by the young lady in front of him. That line seemed familiar and it reminded him of someone from his childhood. 

****************************** 

-Flashback-

_"I can't treat your wound if you don't stop moving" Reika looked at Koryuu with rage. Her chubby cheeks flushed crimson red. She said that when Koryuu kept declining her order to stop moving, as she wanted to treat his scrapped knee. _

_ "Koryuu-nii-chan, stop moving already or I'll kiss you!"_

**************************** 

Sanzo looked up, Aiko was staring down at him with eyes that flared anger.

"What ever you want" Sanzo grumbled, giving way to Aiko.

Aiko's raging face turned softer. Her crimson cheeks once again turned peach colored. A smile returned to her rosy lips. Aiko gently took off Sanzo's robe as the monk blushed severely. She folded Sanzo's robe, revealing the tight black suit underneath. 

Aiko checked the wound again. Her movement, though so tender and soft made Sanzo stirred a bit. He flinched when Aiko touched the wound.

"Oi! Are you trying to heal it or trying to make it worse?" Sanzo said spontaneously. It's just the reflex and Aiko knew it. So, she just smiled.

"Well, it depends" Aiko raised her shoulders slightly as she cleaned the wound. "If you do not trust in me then it'll be worse" she continued, placing her hand firm on the wound. Aiko started the healing session as the pink light gleamed from Aiko's palm and being absorbed by the wound. The wound slowly closed.

"There you go!" Aiko chirped as she had already completed her task. "It may takes some time to heal completely" she reminded as she rubbed her hand to her pants. Aiko glanced at Sanzo. The latter's face was forming beads of sweat. She wiped the sweat away, making Sanzo startled and looked at her with disbelief. 

"Now, what I need to do is to clean up the wound" She untied the band she wore around her waist and tore it into two pieces.

The first piece was used to clean the blood and the latter one was used to bandage the monk's robe. Sanzo hissed at the swift movement of the girl's hands.

Goku just watched. It amazed him to watch Aiko completing her task. The older girl seemed to bear a resemblance to Hakkai in some ways. Her smiles, her gentility, and her skills, everything was quite similar. 'Hakkai? Gojyo? Kazo?'

"Do you think the others are okay?" Goku asked, he couldn't help himself from getting worried. 

Aiko glanced at Goku and smiled before turning her attention to her task. She managed to reach out a hand and ruffled the boy's hair. 

"If the others were as strong as you are, I'm sure they will be fine" she assured the boy and drew her hand back to the monk's wound.

Goku smiled.

"Ch!" Sanzo's way of showing relief. He moaned as Aiko pulled the last strip of the bandage tightly. 

**************************** 

Baron entered the dungeon as the guard unlocked the bars. He stepped further and halted his gait in front of a weary figure tied to a shackle at the wall.

"So, how your answer would be today?" Baron asked as he lifted the figure's face. He stared down at Yumi as she gave him a gaze filled with hatred.

"My answer would be the same, and it'll stay the way it is until the day I died!" Yumi snapped back as she glared at Baron, her eyes displayed a strong feeling of disgust. 

"Why do you insist of protecting him? Give it up!!" Baron uttered with anger. He lifted her face and pinched her chin between his fingers. "I'll make you the wealthiest woman in the world" He promised. 

"Never!!" Yumi declined as she spat to the man's face. At sudden, the man slapped her hard on the cheek, making way for another bruise. The woman spat out blood, result of an inner injury in the depth of her cheek. She braced herself as the man sent out another blow, followed by several other of the same force.

"Oh! Bad news for you" Baron stopped as the woman became terribly feeble. "The ikkou, who you risked your baby with was on their way to save you" the news was like a sharp blow to Yumi's heart.

"It looks like I don't have to get your permission to kill the baby, the ikkou would make it easier for me" Baron grinned, followed by a loud laugh. "Your effort of saving the baby was useless, you know my men would kill them anyway"

Yumi fell downcast. She burst out crying all her hearts out. Baron just stood laughing.

***************************** 

"Lexus-sama, when are we going to carry out the second attack?" the youkai admiral looked at Lexus as the latter was observing the foothill area. 

"Let's wait until they get back together" Lexus answered boldly. "It will be more fun" He smiled. The admiral shook his head with disbelief. Lexus was being his youthful self again.

"After all, our enemies were in their disadvantages, and you know well Wai, I would never attack anyone when they were disabled" Lexus explained as he glanced at Wai, an admiral whom he had considered as his own father.

"Hai Lexus-sama!" Lexus was right, Wai knew him too well that he understood the young youkai leader was full of charisma. He would never take advantage of his enemy when they are not in a good condition to fight.

"We attacked them as soon as they get back together" Lexus gave his final decision, sending Wai to retreat.

Lexus smiled.

"Sanzo-ikkou, I've been longing for this time long ago" Lexus smirked as he glanced down the foothill.

************************ 

Aiko finished treating Sanzo's wound as she tied the bandage neatly. She glanced at Sanzo. The monk's face was pale blue. Aiko put her palm on Sanzo's forehead, much to Sanzo's disagreement. But the monk didn't make any effort to stop the girl.

Sanzo's face was cold, probably because of the shock, caused by him losing too much blood. Aiko brought out a canteen from her sling bag and poured some water into a tin cup. She covered the cup with her palm and let her ki-energy being absorbed into the water.

"Drink this!" ordered Aiko as she held the tin cup to Sanzo's lips. She knew better that Sanzo could not even hold the cup right if she lets him to drink by himself.

Sanzo grunted, but he obeyed the girl. He drank it halfway through and chocked. He coughed harshly. Goku went to his aid by patting his back gently. 'Hakkai always did that to him when he chocked down on his food'

Sanzo rubbed his mouth with the back of his palm.

Aiko smiled. "Good boy" now she is treating the twenty three year old monk as if he was a little child. Sanzo cursed slightly before he gulped down the water till the last drop. Aiko reached out a hand and patted Sanzo's head.

A vein popped out from Sanzo's forehead as the girl patted her head. He smacked the girl's hand away. He felt like an idiot being treated that way. Aiko chuckled in glee. She pinched Sanzo's cheek, leaving a red mark there. Goku rolled on the ground laughing his heart out.

"Ha…ha…kawaii" Goku laughed until he shed tears.

Sanzo was so pissed off. Only if he were not too weak, he would reach out for his harisen and whacked the boy's head for laughing.

"You are such a crybaby" Aiko commented as the image of Sanzo flinching and moaning when she was treating his wound, came back to her mind. 

The word 'baby' reminded Sanzo of something. "The baby?! Where's the baby?" he glanced over Aiko's shoulder, to check whether she has the baby with her. He found nothing. 

"Whoa! Whoa! Calm down" Aiko got panic when Sanzo started moving too much, which may increase the possibility of making his wound worse. She pushed Sanzo's shoulder and made him leaned against the rock, again.

Goku tugged at Aiko's sleeve. "Where's Dai?" he asked with a saddened tone. "Did the youkai got him?"

Aiko shook her head. "Nope! I shielded him in a cave not far from here" Aiko explained. Goku sighed with relief.

"Shielded?" Sanzo startled, but then he remembered the way Aiko shielded Goku when he was about to use maten kyuomou in order to kill the youkai. Only then he was relieved. The baby may be somewhere, but he was safe and sound.

"Can you two walk?" Aiko rose up. "I leave the baby in the cave for quite some time now". She looked at her two injured companions. 'She might have shielded the cave with an energy barrier that even Baron could not surpass it, but Dai was still a baby and being a baby he might woke up and cried for food.

Sanzo tried to stand up with the help of Goku who was supporting his uninjured side. "Goku, stop pretending" Sanzo grumbled. "You are not in perfect condition to help me, you might stumble down and bring me with you to the ground" Sanzo decline the offer as he shoved Goku's supporting hand. He knew his condition was a lot better than the boy's. Sanzo, being himself, could not show that he's worried. That's the best way he could think of to avoid the boy from hurting himself.

Goku pouted at Sanzo's remark. 

"It's okay Goku, I'll help Sanzo" Aiko turned to face the bishounens. Sanzo's face turned even paler and then magenta red.

"Don't you dare!" Sanzo warned as he casts her a deadly glare. But Aiko pretended not to listen and not to look. She lifted Sanzo's arm onto her shoulders and support the monk's waist with her arm. 

"Goku! You go help yourself" ordered Aiko as she handed the brown haired boy her sling bag. Goku nodded eagerly. Aiko started walking, or in another words, dragging the blonde monk away with her. 

"Ch!" Sanzo grunted. He's praying hard that Gojyo wouldn't see this humiliating moment, or he would never survive another day being mocked by the kappa.

***************************** 

"Ku…ku…ku…" The Goddess of Mercy giggled on glee as she observed her favorite nephew down in Genkai through her lotus pond. 

"What's the matter Kanzeon Bosatsu?" her assistant, Jiroushin asked.

"Hi..hi..hi…I should have let the ikkou met the girl earlier instead of letting fate to decide it" the kannon-sama smiled as she looked into her binoculars. 

"Kanzeon Bosatsu?" Jiroushin eyes bewildered. "Don't say it out loud" he reminded his master or is it mistress?.

Kanzeon Bosatsu ignored his warning and kept on giggling.

"Oohh…this is fun" she sighed happily.

To be continue ……..

********************************* 

Ayie: Finally, Kanzeon Bosatsu made her first appearance in this fic. 

Sanzo: Oi! Why did you included her in your fic? desperately trying to shove his kusobaba from ruffling his hair

Ayie: That's for whacking my head and saying I'm a crazy writer. winked at Kanzeon Bosatsu

Kanzeon: winked back Oh…Konzen…ops! Shimatta….Sanzo, you will always be my favorite nephew.

Sanzo: That's because I'm your only nephew…swept the lipstick's mark on his forehead, courtesy of Kanzeon's kiss


	10. The Kiss that cures

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Saiyuki characters. They honorably belong to Minekura Sensei. Please don't sue me.

***************************** 

Ayie:  Hu..hu…hu…wailing sadly

Hakkai: What's wrong Ayie-san? You look so sad today?

Ayie: I'm crying for Haru's father…why did he have to die…continues to wail

Gojyo: Yada…yada…Ayie, you still have another chap to finish you know?

Ayie: wiped away the tears, but still sobbing Hai! You're right…here goes..

Sanzo: Ch! Fine…. Just don't go on writing angst chap.

Gojyo: Oi bouzu…have some mercy will you…?

************************** 

Chapter 10 – The Kiss that Cures

The huge red orbs was settling down at the West, sending rays of purple, red and orange lights to cover the wide sky. Sanzo grunted as he threw away a cigarette butt to the ground and stepped on it.

Sanzo looked up, to find Aiko and Goku walking abreast up in the front. It's being about half an hour since they left the battlefield and Sanzo had already walked by himself. The wound somehow was almost completely healed. Sanzo kept his eyes on alert, scanning the area, preparing for another ambush. 

"Oi! How much farther to the cave?" Sanzo was getting impatient. She stared at Aiko, but the girl pretended not to listen and kept on walking. "Ch!" Sanzo's vein popped out. He glanced at Aiko, observing her without she noticing it. 'How can an ordinary human like her possessed such an extraordinary power? Is she a youkai like Hakkai? But then, I don't sense any yuki from her'. Sanzo stared at the girl in front of him from head to toe, searching for any yoryuku limiter. But the girl didn't wear any jewelries, gems or even accessories that have the potential as a limiter. Aiko was all plain and simple.

"You know Sanzo? It's rude to stare when one's was not looking" suddenly Aiko turned to him and grinned. Sanzo cursed slightly. "Well, answering your question, we're here already" Aiko chirped as she pointed a forefinger to a cave which seemed to appear all of a sudden. A large energy barrier shielded the cave. Aiko entered the cave before anyone else and by a swift movement of her hand, which she swung in the air several times, the energy barrier slowly faded away. Goku and Sanzo entered the cave as soon as the barrier's gone.

"Dai!" Goku yelped in joy at seeing the sleeping baby, cradled by blocks of stone. The baby was sleeping, just the way Aiko left before. Aiko checked on the baby before retreating to the other side of the cave, dragging Goku with her. 

Aiko made Goku sits on a stone and she herself kneeled in front of him. "Now, let me look at your wound again" she said. "Take off your shirt" Aiko ordered as she retrieved her backpack, taking out a bottle of iodine and a role of cotton bandage. She left the backpack behind, together with Dai, before she ran off to the direction from which she heard a gunshot.

"Oki!" Goku sounded happy. He was about to strip off the shirt from his body when he remembered something. "Nope! I don't want to take off my shirt" he refused, looking away from Aiko. 

Aiko smiled. "And may I know why?" she asked, politely.

Goku was astounded. "You're not going to get mad at me and threat to kiss me?" he asked with eyes as round as a ping-pong ball. Aiko giggled and shook her head for the answer. Now she understood why the kid suddenly became stubborn. Goku pouted. "Not fair" he grumbled.

"WHACK!!" straight on the face the harisen went, sending Goku to fall off the stone and landed on his butt.

"Ittai!!!" Goku flinched as he rubbed his face, now having a slash-like bruise across it. "Nande sun dai yo Sanzo?" he asked.

"That's for being such a perverted saru!" Sanzo scolded him. 'The saru hung up too much with that perverted kappa, he had turned into one!'

"I am not!" Goku argued, a little bit embarrassed at that remark. He just wanted some affection from a girl, a sister, just like Aiko. All this time, he always hung around with a bunch of older guys and now, he wanted something different. He just wanted to feel how was it to have a sister around instead of a big bully brother like Gojyo, always smiling brother like Hakkai or the short tempered one, Sanzo. Not that he didn't like them, he loved them so much. But they always bully him anytime they have the chance. 'That excludes Hakkai of course'. 

Aiko giggled, covering her mouth with one palm and looked at Goku. The boy blushed. She held out a hand and grabbed the boy's arm, helping him to settle back on the rock.

Goku stuck out his tongue to Sanzo while wiping dust from his shirt. He hid himself behind Aiko when Sanzo gave him a deadly glare.

Aiko laughed politely. "Ma…ma…Sanzo, calm down" she said, shielding Goku from Sanzo's I'm-going-to-kill-you glare. "If you moved around too much, you are risking of opening your wound again and that wouldn't be good" She mentioned in a gentle voice.

"Ch!" Sanzo put a cigarette in between his lips. He was going to light it when Aiko stared at him with a threatening ayes. Sanzo grunted, he looked at the baby who was now sleeping soundly.

Sanzo looked back at Aiko, the girl was shaking her index finger, as a sign of no. Sanzo sighed. 'This girl is a duplicate of Hakkai'. Sanzo never won over Hakkai, now he can add in Aiko into his list of 'I never won over…' with Hakkai on top of the list. He kept his cigarette back in the cigarette pack.

Aiko smiled. She turned to Goku, who was tugging at the back of her vest. She kneeled in front of Goku and ruffled his hair.

"Is that it? You didn't want to take off your shirt because you think I would get mad at you and kiss you for a punishment?" Aiko asked for confirmation. Goku nodded solemnly, he felt a little bit ashamed of himself. She swept away a lock of brown hair on the boy's forehead. Aiko smiled.

Goku hung his head low. "Well, I thought I would get a kiss if I disobeyed you" explained Goku. "You said to Sanzo, you would kiss him if he doesn't listen to you"…ah…Goku, too innocent to understand the situation.

"Baka" Sanzo shook his head in annoyance. Actually, he didn't buy it when Aiko said she would kiss him if he disobeyed her order. Aiko would never do it even though she has the dare. But the voice, Reika's voice kept ringing in his head, making him giving up to Aiko.

Aiko chuckled. "You know what? You don't have to disobey me to get a kiss, just ask for it" Aiko chirped. "For you, I give a special treat" A loving curled appeared on her lips.

"Nani?" Goku couldn't catch it up. 

"If you take off your shirt and behave, I'll kiss you" promised Aiko. Her hand brushed the boy's face, and without Goku noticing it, her hand gleamed in pink light and healed the bruise, courtesy of Sanzo's legendary harisen. Aiko swept away the beads of sweat on Goku's forehead.

"Honto ni?" Goku asked with delightful tone.

Aiko nodded her head eagerly.

Goku quickly took off his shirt, revealing spots of bruises on his skinny body and the scar made by the last injury. Goku flinched when Aiko touched his battered body.

Aiko smiled, more of sympathy. She stared at Goku silently, seemed like she's thinking of something. Aiko then pulled out the cork from the iodine bottle and poured a drop of the iodine onto a cotton cloth. 

"Hihihi…" Goku chuckled. Aiko looked at him with wonder.

"What's so funny about me treating your wound?" Aiko asked with a smile. She might as well wants to share the fun. 

"Hi..hi..you are as same as Hakkai" Goku mentioned. "Hakkai always brought first aid kit with him, wherever he goes, all the time" he continued. He smiled in glee. In the meantime, he just let her do her work, fixing him up.

Aiko dabbed the iodine on Goku's bruises, making the latter moaned. "Well, you have to be prepared for the unexpected, especially when you got injury prone mates on board" Aiko was sneering at that remark.

Goku was able to understand that remark and he smiled embarrassingly. Even Sanzo was cursing slightly at Aiko's back.

"Okay, finished already!" Aiko chirped. She ruffled Goku's hair and gave the boy a peck on the cheek. At instance, Goku blushed. "I've kept my promise" said Aiko, smiling at Goku with a sincere smile.

Aiko brushed locks of hair on Goku's temple, revealing a scar that still trickling blood. "Oh! I missed one here" Aiko mentioned. She took a hanky out of her pocket and heated it by using a ki-beam. Aiko dabbed the hanky on Goku's scar, making the boy hissed painfully.

Aiko held Goku's chin in her hand and lifted his face so Goku would look at her eyes to eyes. "Does it hurt too much?" Aiko asked tenderly. 'Goku was indeed a strong boy, but he is still a boy physically, even his body sometime suffered due to too much injuries.

Goku put one hand behind his head and chuckled merrily. "Iya!!" he denied it with a melodious tone.

The older girl shook her head and smiled. 'The boy is still trying to act tough'. "You know Goku, my father once told me about a legend of a kiss that cured all pain and sorrow" Aiko sat down on a rock, facing Goku. "Do you want me to tell you the legend?"

"Hai! Hai!" Goku hopped up and down eagerly. He put on his shirt and sat steadily in front of Aiko.

Aiko coughed once and proceeded. "Once upon a time, there's a town in the east" Aiko started narrating a fairy tale. "The townsfolk lived happily and peacefully, youkai and human lived together hands in hands until one day, a deadly disease spread upon the town, causing a lot of people, man, woman, children, fell sick" Aiko narrated the story with her eyes closed, as if she's trying to recall the plot of her story.

Sanzo looked away. "Ch! Baka!" Sanzo murmured softly, only to be heard by his own ears.

"So, the townsfolk got bedridden, and they lived in suffering and agony because there was no cure for the disease" Aiko took a deep breath. She said her latter statement with a scorn face, trying to put a mix of emotion it her story. She opened one eye and peeped at Goku, the boy was listening attentively. "Until one day, a goddess came down to the village and flew her kisses all around the town" she's almost finished.

"Then, what happened?" Goku stepped down from the rock he's sitting on and sat down on the ground near Aiko's feet. He crossed his arms on Aiko's knees and rested his chin on it. 

"Then, the kisses flew around and landed on every sick person's cheek and it miraculously cured their sickness" Aiko ensued as she caressed Goku's head. 

"Honto?" Goku was amazed. He stared at Aiko with bewildered look.

Aiko nodded, followed by a 'humph'.

"Hai! Since then, the townsfolk believed that a kiss can cure any sickness, from the one eyes can see to the deepest scar that was far beyond human sight" Aiko finished the tale. "Owari!" she ended it formally. 

"Sugee!!" Goku cheered. Well, don't blame it on the boy, none of his fellow comrades ever read him a bedtime stories before.

"Goku!" Aiko called out, reaching both hands and took Goku's in it. She held the hands firmly. Goku looked puzzled and by the time Aiko surprisingly planted a kiss on his scar, Goku startled. He never expected that. "Do you feel better now?" she asked afterwards.

"I…I…" Goku stuttered. His eyes started to water. Any moment now he could shed tears. But deep inside, he did felt a lot better. Aiko smiled as she held Goku closer and pulled him in her embrace. She threw her arms around Goku and cuddled him tightly. Secretly, she planted a ghostly kiss on Goku's hair.

Sanzo looked away. Too much emotion involved. He glanced through the opening of the cave, the light slowly fading away, giving way to nightfall. Darkness slowly hovered the land. 

Aiko released Goku from her embrace. "Now, would you help me get the firewood? It's getting a bit chilly in here"

"Hai!" Goku ran out of the cave happily. What could he asked for more? He already got what he wanted. 

"Don't go too far" Aiko reminded the young heretic, just as protective as an elder sister should be. She retreated to her own task, cleaning the place up, as soon as she's sure Goku had heard her. 

"This town you were talking about…where was it?" asked Sanzo, looking at Aiko curiously. It may sounds weird, but the legend does exist from where he came from.

"Well…well…Sanzo, I never thought you would listen" the girl sneered. Sanzo grumbled. "Hi…hi…it's just a legend I've heard from my father when he wanted to put me to bed" Aiko explained. "Dunno if it's true, but it sure worked everytime I practiced it…kiki.." She giggled in glee. She knew well that who ever could understand her silly remark; it would be Sanzo, not counting Hakkai and Gojyo if they were here.

"Gee…" Aiko looked away, out of the cave. "I hope Hakkai, Gojyo and Kazo were all right" a deep sigh escaped her mouth.

"They'll be fine" Sanzo reassured, an act that was so rare to Sanzo, this Genjo Sanzo. But he couldn't help it, the girl helped them much and that's the only thing he could do to return her favor.

Aiko smiled, but the flicker of concern didn't fade away from her face.

"Daijoubou ka, Aiko?" Goku asked. He had returned with a bundle of firewood, only to find Aiko with a distress look on her face.

Aiko's tone and mood immediately changed when she turned her face to meet Goku's. She presented a cheerful smile for the boy. "Hai!" she answered happily.

Goku changed back to his genki self. He arranged the firewood and Aiko put it on fire. They huddled close to the fire, to get themselves warmed up. Aiko glanced over to Goku who was shivering slightly. She reached out a hand and pulled Goku closer to her. She let the boy leaned his head on her shoulder.

'Phew! Lucky me…Dai haven't woke up from his sleep or else I'm in trouble' Aiko thought gratefully. In a moment, she heard a soft low moans from under arm. Goku had already fallen asleep, may be because of the fatigue from today's fight.

"Go to sleep" Sanzo suddenly gave out an order. Aiko looked up, Sanzo was not even looking at her. Aiko smiled slightly, forming a thin curl at the corner of her lips. "I'll take the first watch"

"Arigatou" Aiko bowed her head slightly. She lifted Goku onto her lap and leaned his back against her chest. She herself leaned against the cave wall and rested her chin on Goku's head. Aiko hugged Goku tightly in her arms and closed her eyes.

Sanzo's lips curled. A serene look fell upon his face as he glanced at the sleeping figures, two of the most fragile beings on Genkai and perhaps on Tenkai too. He folded his arms around his chest and leaned against the cave wall behind him. 

*************************** 

Far above in Tenkai

Kanzeon giggled merrily as she glanced over her lotus pond, to the image of the three people sheltered in a cave. 

"Kanzeon Bosatsu? May I know why are you laughing?" Jiroushin couldn't help himself from asking, as the kannon-sama hadn't stop giggling since she last observed upon Sanzo-ikkou's journey. 

"Hi…hi…the girl is narrating her own past to that saru. What a twist of fate?" Kanzeon smirked. "A girl growing up with people around her telling her the legend which supposed to be her own past" she sneered at she gazed upon sleeping Aiko.

"Kanzeon Bosatsu?" Jiroushin looked at Kanzeon.

"Pity her…The Goddess of Love…" Kanzeon rested her chin on her hand, which she anchored on her throne.

******************************* 

Hakkai looked at Gojyo, who was snoring soundly with Kazo lying on his outstretched legs. Gojyo's hands were both on Kazo's hair and back. They remained in that position after being too tired due to too much bickering. Actually they were tugging at each other's hair before they fallen asleep a moment ago. To prove it, Kazo's hand still tugged at a lock of Gojyo's hair with the latter's head hung so low, it looked like Gojyo almost rested his face on Kazo's back.

Hakkai smiled in glee. That's a cute sight, only if he had a camera with him right now.

"Where could they be?" Hakkai whispered softly as he glanced at sleeping Harkuryu and Nimmiku. Wherever their other companions were, he hoped they were safe and sound and most importantly, he hoped that they were all together.

******************************** 

_"Hu…hu…" Reika was crying for her shattered kite. She wept sadly as Koryuu lifted the kite. He looked at her with pity. 'This kite was her favorite'. The girl's tears streamed down her chubby cheeks._

_"Ma…ma…Reika, I'll fix it up" he looked at the weeping girl then turned to the kite, the damage was too huge. Any effort of fixing it up would be a waste. It would never fly again. "Much better, I'll make you a new one" he promised._

_"Honto ni?" the girl lifted her face, the sweet smile returned to her lips. The tears stopped trickling down. "Honto honto ni?" she kept asking._

_"Hai!" He nodded merrily._

_"Koryuu-nii-chan, sankyu na?" the girl leaped forward and gave Koryuu a bear hug. Koryuu jerked back by the sudden weight on his skinny body but then stabilized himself. He smiled and returned that hug._

_"Come on, I'll give you a piggyback ride home" offered Koryuu, and the girl hopped up and down happily, clapping her hands._

_Koryuu bent down and helped the girl climbed onto his back. Her chubby arms hugged Koryuu's neck and her chin rested on his shoulder._

_"Ready?" Koryuu asked, looking forward to the sight of Chang-an temple down at the foothill._

_"Hai!" the little girl answered and Koryuu started running down the slopes. The girl at her back cheered happily. _

********************************* 

"Ch!" Sanzo grunted. He looked at Aiko and Goku. The latter two were sleeping tightly, so did the baby. "Why am I getting all this memories about her?" he asked himself. 

Sanzo looked into the fire. 

"Why can't I forget her?" Sanzo whispered down his throat. "Reika…."

To be continue……

*********************************** 

Ayie: For those who had reviewed my fic, Arigatou minna-san. Your reviews did encourage me to keep on writing the fic. Do remember the legend because I'll bring it up again, somewhere in the coming chapters and as you'd read, the legend was the OC's past that was back in Tenkai. 

Aiko: Wou…really? I don't know that.

Gojyo: And who's this Reika anyway? Is she Sanzo's ex-girlfriend?

Sanzo: Kuruso!!!! Whacked Gojyo's head continuously and furiously

Ayie: Reika? Let's wait cos I'm not going to reveal it too soon. Bad bad me…Ai…do inform me if the fic is getting too slow at pace and if it's making you bored… do tell me..and if you have any idea on how to make the fic more interesting, do add it in your review. Oki..Sayonara…  ops! Thanks Ultra-san for correcting the 'daijoubou'. ^_^


	11. The nightmares and dreams

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Saiyuki characters. They honorably belong to Minekura Sensei. Please don't sue me.

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Ayie: Thanks Kuroi-san for having reviewed my fic from chap to chap ^_^. Your advice and opinions really helped me. Not to mention others who had reviewed the fic, you guys helped a lot! 

Sanzo-ikkou, all together: whispering mode Thanks from us to coz your reviews did enlightened her… and that helped us to get along with her without hearing her yelling all day long.

Ayie: Oi guys! Don't say bad thing about me…

**************************** 

Chapter 11 – Dreams and Nightmares

_She glanced around and found nothing but pools of blood. _

_A man in his middle age appeared in front of her. "Fear not my dear, your old man is here" the man smirked as he drew out his sword and stood in a fighting mode. "I'll protect you with my own life" he said and darted toward swarms of youkai up ahead. He fought and fought and finally was brought down to the ground by a ki-blast from the youkai leader. "Be strong" he whispered as he shoved her off from the battlefield. He stood once again, staggering and finally gain his balance from his will to protect the one he loved. With one push of his strong hand, she was sent to fly away from the carnage. She landed on her feet and looked to the man. Tears fell down on her cheeks. _

_"Otosan!" she called out loud._

_The man looked at her for the last time and smiled. "You're always my little girl!" he shouted before charging into the enemies' territory. He ended the battle moments after that and what she could find was his lifeless body along with the bodies of the defeated youkais. Slowly, the carnage disappeared and was replaced with another scene._

_A female youkai with orange hair, age not much different from her otosan, handed her the hand of a boy. "Protect him and take care of yourself, I will stop them like the way your Otosan did" the woman said while at the same time tears streamed down on her cheeks. The woman kissed her forehead and hugged her tightly and later did the same thing to the boy she's holding. "Now go!!" the woman shooed her and the boy, pushed them away. "Go!". She held the boy's hand firmly as he cried in horror, seeing the woman walked away to face the youkai. The female youkai took off her necklace that served as a limiter and changed into her original form._

_"Okasan!" she clamped the boy's eyes with her palm. Never will she let the boy see how their most beloved lady really looked like.  Again, the tears filled her eyes, blurring the image of her Okasan being slaughtered to death. Yet, it wasn't over as the blurred scene finally changed into another different scene._

_A young lady, barely at her mid twenty was staring down at her and the boy. A youkai she was, just like Okasan, but she had the same loving tenderness showed in her shimmering brown eyes. "The time I spent with you was the best in my life, I wished I was born once again to be your sister-in-law" The young lady youkai said with a thin smile on her lips. The lady coughed out blood. "Now go, go before I turned berserk and killed you!". The young lady held her hands and kissed it tenderly, before tossing them away at instance as a youkai darted toward them with great speed. The lady shoved her off and turned abruptly to the back. "I love you…I always will" she whispered as she lurched forward and brought down the youkai to the ground. _

_"Yuka-nee-chan" she cried as the lady screamed in agony when the youkai stabbed her chest with a dagger. _

_The young female youkai didn't want to give up and cast a spell and blow the youkai with an explosion, together with her. The flesh and the blood scattered all over the place. Tears kept on flowing endlessly on her cheek as she tightened the grip on the boy's trembling hand. The boy had already fallen down on his knees, knocked senseless by the sight of the bloodshed. The explosion ended with a huge puff of smoke hovered the area. The smoke faded away as it was replaced by another scene._

_A young man, whom she recognized as the husband of the young female youkai, ruffled her hair. "Save yourself, bring Kazo with you…Go!" he said as he pushed her hand away from tugging at his sleeve. She pled him to come with them. "No! I'll stay and fight and died protecting you if I have to" he smiled. "You will always be my sister…and Kazo…" He patted the boy she's holding in her cradle. "Take care of your sister for me… now you're in charge" he whispered as he planted a kiss on the boy's forehead. The unconscious boy stirred restlessly and mumbled something. The man smiled. He turned away and charged into the turmoil, a spear swung around his hand. "Shi-ne!!"He fought until his last dying opponent took his last breath away._

_"Wei-nii-chan!" She called out, trembling with sorrow._

_The man staggered as he leaned to his spear. He looked at her and smiled. "Go…" He said it with a slight movement of his lips before he stumbled down on earth, smiling to the sky. The daylight faded away as the nightfall crept in slowly, bringing with it a new scene. _

_Another young man in his early twenty stood in front of her, with his back facing her. He winced at the stabbing pain in his stomach. A youkai was pulling out his sword from the young man's body. The young man completed his task as a human shield, shielding her from the deadly blow. He swung his staff and killed the youkai. Blood splattered all across his face, the youkai's blood. He stumbled into her arms. His gored hand went up to her cheek, wiping the tears away. "I've told you not to cry…you looked ugly when you cried" He laughed and ended up groaning painfully. "Now you're on your own baka… take care!" he said and dragged her face closed to his. He planted a kiss on her cheek before closing his eyes forever. _

_"Yue…kono baka! Yue-nii-chan!!" She wailed. Tears filled the pools in her eyes and the image of the dead young man vanished and was replaced by another image._

_"Leave me!" a girl shouted at her. She shook her head, refused to obey the order. "Kono baka! Leave me, you still have our little brother to look after" the girl said as she struggled fiercely to set herself free from the strong grips of the youkai, guardian of the mansion. Another group of youkai darted furiously toward her but a blow was holding them off, surprisingly from the girl's staff. The girl stood protectively in front of her. "Go!" The girl ordered and punched a button on the wall with her fist. Bars of solid iron fell down and separated them away._

_"Leya? Stop this!" she pled, clinging to the bars and held out a hand to reach the girl. The girl turned at sudden, held out her hands through the bars and grabbed her head. The girl coaxed her head closer to the bars and presented her a kiss on her forehead. The girl smiled and drew away her hands away immediately. She wailed and tried to reach her beyond the bars. But the girl kept repelling from her. "They'll kill you"_

_"No… they wouldn't, they need me to carry on the experiment" The girl denied. She backed away from the bars, neglecting the youkais that were scampering toward her. "But I won't let them have me fighting on their side and neither I would let them have you" The girl said as she brought out a knife from her back pocket. The girl drew the knife to her forehead and plunged the end of the blade into her temple. The girl screamed in agony as she dug out a tiny red marble from her skull. Crimson liquid poured down on the girl's face._

_"No!!!!!" she shouted as she banged at the bars fiercely. _

_The knife slipped away from the girl's limp hand and landed onto the floor and the girl stumbled on the floor. The girl reached out a hand to her and she gripped it tightly. "I love you" The girl took her last breath along with the words. The girl's hand slipped away from hers._

_"Leya!! Leya-nee-chan!" She wailed in horror. She closed her eyes and opened it after a while. She's not anymore inside the mansion, but in a wood instead._

_"It looks like that I couldn't keep our promise of dying together anymore" A man's voice rang in her ears. She looked down. On her lap, laid a young lad of her age. The man shivered in her arms as he clung to her face. His bloody hands touched her face and then to his wounded chest. "I…I have to go first" he said and smiled to her._

_"You don't have to do this, sacrificing your life for me" a boy tugged at that man's body. He cried, seeing his best friend in that state. The young man smiled and ruffled the boy's hair. _

_"Kazo, do me a favor will you?" he asked, holding the boy's hand tight and firm. The boy looked up. He nodded weakly. _

_"Take care of your sister for me… I could not keep my eyes on her anymore.." The man's speech started to tremble. "I trusted you to continue my task for me" His breath was getting shallow and faint. He looked at the boy with hope. The boy nodded as he wiped his tears away._

_The young man smiled peacefully at the boy's reply. He pushed himself to sit upright and stared at her face. He held her face and drew her face closer to his. He kissed her lips and hugged her tightly._

_"Aishiiteeru …koi" He whispered to her ears and fell down on the ground, lifeless. His hands slipped away slowly from her face and they parted away._

_"Leon!!!" the boy screamed._

_"Leon…" she cried, deep down in her heart._

_She looked around and found nothing butt pools of blood._

_The blood of her loved ones. _

_********************************* _

Aiko snapped her eyes opened. She glanced around and gasped. She was in the same cave that she was in before she fell asleep. Goku was using her lap as a pillow, Dai's still sleeping and Sanzo…Sanzo was looking at her with wonders.

"Daijoubu desu ka?" Sanzo asked. He had stayed on guard since a couple of hours ago, and he swore that the girl slept restlessly since she last fell asleep. The girl moaned and groaned in her sleep.

"Hai!" Aiko nodded with a nervous smile. She trembled as she uttered the reassurance. She swept her forehead that was soaked with sweat. She leaned her head against the cave wall and sighed deeply.

"Nightmares?" A word popped out the monk's mouth and Aiko found it rather unusual. The monk sounded like he cared.

"Iya!" Aiko denied it with a smile. It was the same smile she used to display on her face when Kazo woke up in the middle of the night and found her gazing upon the stars high up in the sky.

"Ch!" Sanzo knew it better. The girl was not telling the truth.

"Honto!" She insisted. But then, she sighed slowly. 'It's not nightmares, it's just my past that I'm trying to live with'. Aiko stared at nothing on the wall in front of her.

"You didn't slept a bit don't you?" Sanzo was being a bit friendly and talkative tonight.

"Hai! How did you notice it?" Aiko admitted. No use lying to this guy, he would know after all. Alas, he's a monk, may be he can reads mind too right? 'Ops! That's too much'. "I have problem to sleep peacefully" a reason she thought would shut the man's mouth.

Sanzo nodded. The girl showed no effort of trying to sleep again.

"You can sleep now, I'll take over" Aiko said as she caressed Goku's hair tenderly. She always did the same thing upon Kazo when the boy was asleep. 'Poor Kazo…I never show how much I cared, fearing that he could not bear the sorrow if he was to lose me someday'.

"No need" Sanzo declined the offer. 'Okay, let me see… I put myself into sleep and let a girl on guard? That's stupid'.

"But Sanzo, you've been worn out by today's fight" She protested but was soon stopped abruptly by a gun pointed toward her. 

"Urusai!" Sanzo warned.

Aiko retreated. 'Fine! Hard-headed bouzu. Don't sleep, keep your eyes open and die of fatigue in the morning'. Aiko cursed slightly under her breath. But then, a smile reappeared on her lips. This blonde guy did remind her someone she treasured so much.

Sanzo looked at Aiko from the corner of his eyes. The girl was smiling to herself. 'Gosh! If Hakkai has a twin sister, this girl best suited the position'. But, 'the smile seemed familiar'. Sanzo shook his head frantically, shoving away the sudden feeling of wonder in his mind.

"Darn!" Sanzo felt like his head could burst anytime now. 'What am I thinking? The girl was dead'.

"Huh?" Aiko lifted her head and gazed at Sanzo. "Sanzo, you said something?" Aiko looked at him suspiciously.

"Iya!" Sanzo replied coldly. 

Aiko giggled. She was sure she heard Sanzo said something about someone being dead, but then may be it's her own imagination. 

"Fried dumpling, meat bun, fried noodles…" the boy on Aiko's lap chanted the name of variety of food. It looked like he's having a very nice dream. 'Kazo must be having the same dream too'. Aiko laughed slightly and landed a peck on the boy's cheek.

"Aiko-nee-chan" Goku's chant suddenly changed. He unconsciously hugged Aiko's waist and nestled himself into the warmth of the girl's body. Aiko smiled as the boy fell deeper into his dreams.

'Aiko-nee-chan?' Aiko smiled. 'It's been long since I last heard that word'. Kazo used to call her by that name before she warned him not to. The reason? He would only be her little brother and would never grow up to take care of himself. Aiko admitted it, she might act a little bit harsh on Kazo, but she didn't want him to grow up as a crybaby. Furthermore, she didn't want to take any chances of endangering Kazo's life. 

Aiko looked at Sanzo, the monk was reading a newspaper. 'Again?'. "How was your wound doing?" a concern tone slipped from her mouth. 

Sanzo looked up and turned his gaze back to the news headline. "Fine!" he answered shortly. 

Aiko sighed. 'Human definitely took longer time to heal themselves than youkai and this monk was no different, except that he's lying'.

"The youkai that have attacked us today were sent by Baron, they wanted the baby" Aiko informed the blonde guy, trying to evolve a conversation.

"No doubt" Sanzo already knew about that. The youkai told him during their fight. Other reason that he would figure out by himself, the youkai was too strong to be Kougaiji's disciples but too weak to be Homura's.

"Whatever they are, I hope they won't attack us while we're in this condition" Aiko's glanced at Sanzo. "You two are not in better condition for a fight" She combed Goku's hair between her fingers, sending the boy to stir in his sleep.

Sanzo had to agree with that too.

"Are you always this quiet?" the girl asked at sudden. Sanzo looked up. "I thought a monk would preach and preach and preach" actually Aiko was annoyed with Sanzo's cold attitude. She didn't know why she reacted that way. Usually she would just let it be.

Sanzo lifted his face and gave Aiko a glare that sent down a chill to her spine. Aiko gulped and looked away. Sanzo shrugged. "Are you going to keep talking until I say something?" 

Aiko blushed. "Gomen, I don't mean to disturb you…it's just that…" She stammered at the sudden feeling of guilt in her heart. 'I just don't want thing to be this quiet…it makes me think of my past'.

Sanzo grunted. "You just need to talk to someone to chase the nightmare away" Sanzo finished her words. The girl's face told him that he was right. "The hell I care with your nightmares" Sanzo muttered and started to read again.

"K'so!" Aiko cursed slightly. 'May be I was wrong, this monk can really reads other people's mind'. She looked at Sanzo and secretly stuck her tongue at him, hoping that he wouldn't notice it. But the monk caught her in the act. Aiko gulped.

In a fraction of a second, the legendary harisen hit her right on the nose. Sanzo threw it at her instead of whacking her head with it.

"Ittai! Nande sun dai yo?" Goku's famous line came out from her mouth. She rubbed her aching nose and looked at Sanzo from the corner of her eyes. Her eyes then gazed at the harisen, which landed on the ground next to her. She picked up the harisen and waved it at Sanzo.

"Yay!Yay! I got your harisen, now let's see what will you use to whack our heads" she grinned a devilish grin.

Sanzo smirked, a menacing and devilish looks displayed on his face. He searched for something in his oversized sleeve and took out another harisen, new and fresh harisen.   

Aiko gaped at that sight. The harisen he just took out seemed to sparkle in some way. "How do you keep a lot of this thing in 'that' robe?" and she stressed on the word that. She was amazed.

"Now, you were saying?" Sanzo grinned devilishly and Aiko started to give him a puppy look. She was soooo dead!

************************** 

Hakkai looked at the east. He flinched at the stabbing pain in his eyes as he gazed upon the rising sun. It's dawn and he's the first one to wake up. Actually, he never woke up from his sleep, as he was not sleeping the entire night. 

"Hakkai…" Gojyo yawned and stretched his arms.

"Oh! Ohaiyo" Hakkai greeted him with a smile.

"You were not sleeping at all aren't you?" Gojyo asked without even bothered of returning the latter's greeting.

Hakkai smiled. "Hai! You knew me best Gojyo" 

Gojyo sighed. 'Yes, he knew Hakkai too well that he didn't like it when Hakkai acted that way'.

"Should we continue our search?" Hakkai gave a signal that they should rose and shine, ready to look for their lost companions. Or is it them who got lost? Never mind, think of that later.

"Hai hai!" Gojyo rose up and shook Kazo's shoulder. The boy stirred and yawned but didn't open his eyes at all. Gojyo poked the boy's head, causing the latter to jerk up at sudden and cried of pain. "Wake up you lazy kiddo!" Gojyo ruffled the boy's hair. 

"I'm.not.a.kiddo!" Kazo said it word by word and ended with him pounding the kappa's head.

Hakkai slapped his head. "Yare…yare…desune" . 'Not again'.

*************************** 

Goku looked up at Aiko, now busy at completing her task, dabbing ointment on Sanzo's fresh bruised face. Actually, Aiko didn't look any better than Sanzo. There were bumps on her forehead and bruises everywhere on her delicate face.

Aiko's face was bitter, equal to Sanzo's. Aiko was not even looking at Sanzo and so was the latter. She just let her hand moved freely around the monk's face, dabbing here and there, even the spot where there is no bruise or bump. Sanzo on the other hand, just looked away and let Aiko did whatever she wants.

Goku scratched his head, confused. From the moment he woke up, Goku had find Sanzo and Aiko staring at each other with deadly glares. Their eyes were sending electrical waves and connected in the middle of the cave. Veins popped out of their heads.

Aiko looked at Sanzo from the corner of her eyes. There were plasters everywhere on the monk's face. Aiko looked away and let out a slight laugh, but then her laughter turned to tears. She sunk onto a rock and started to weep.

"Aiko…" Goku was indeed worried. 'What actually happened last night? Another attack from the youkai?'. But if that so, why didn't they wake him up?

"Sanzo?" Goku looked at Sanzo, hoping that the latter would help him to reassure Aiko. Aiko was still weeping for an unknown reason.

Sanzo grunted. He advanced toward the girl and handed her a hanky. The girl looked up with surprise. "Here…wipe the tears away" Sanzo looked outside the cave, it's already morning.

Aiko took the hanky and wiped her tears away. Goku was clinging to her arm, reassuring her with soft pleas.

"Why are you crying anyway?" Sanzo asked, turning his back to Aiko and Goku.

"You hit me too hard! Not fair!" She protested.

"Ch! Don't say it as if you hit me with mercy" Sanzo's eyebrows twitched. The bump on his head is giving him a headache.

Goku's eyes widened. 'What? Sanzo's being hit?'. Goku looked at Sanzo and Aiko continuously and scanned the area inside the cave. Two shattered harisens lay on the cave floor. So, the image he had seen last night was not a dream after all. The image of Aiko chasing Sanzo all around the cave with a harisen in her hand, and the image of Sanzo whacking Aiko's head with another harisen, it's not from his dream!

'A paper fan fight?!'. Goku finally realized what had happened last night and rolled on the ground, laughing like a maniac. His laughter didn't last long when the two elders joined venture and smacked him on his head with two harisens.

"Ittai!!!" Goku screamed. 'Double harisens, double trouble, double bumps!'. He rubbed his head with two hands, for two bumps.

"Here" Aiko handed the hanky back to Sanzo. Sanzo took it and shoved it inside his robe.

"Arigatou" Aiko thanked him. "Thanks for the hanky, but it still doesn't change the fact that I won last night" she sneered. A she-devil she was.

Goku laughed quietly, covering his mouth with his palm. 'Sanzo lost over Aiko in harisen's fight? I gotta tell Gojyo this'. "Bwahahha!!!" Goku burst out laughing after he couldn't hold it any longer.

"Ch!" Sanzo turned away. "Ikuzo!" he ordered. He walked toward the cave's opening, feeling the fresh air and the coldness of the morning breeze as he walked closer into the outside world.

Aiko cupped Dai in her arms and followed Sanzo. Goku was trailing her steps. "Aiko" the girl looked back to the kid behind her. "How hard you whacked him last night?" Goku asked, curiously. His voice was so low.

"Double as hard as he whacked you" Aiko winked at the boy. Goku giggled. "Luckily, he didn't use the shoureijuu" Aiko shook her head. She wasn't even sure how she managed to get involve in the harisen's fight and won over it.

But then, the fight brought her to her childhood. A time she treasured so much she wished she would never lost it.

"Sanzo! Chotto matte yo!" Goku ran toward Sanzo, dragging Aiko with him. Aiko had to keep her pace fast and swift to avoid stumbling down to the ground.

To be continue……..

***************************

Ayie: Okay…in this chap, I included the OC's past in a form of a dream. I'm going to reveal her identity later on…Well, thanks for reading the fic. 

Sanzo and Aiko: plasters all over the face Aiko: you know…you could avoid us from having a harisen's fight….

Sanzo: Ya…It's embarrassing 

Ayie: But I like it..

Gojyo: well, the writer said it…  
  



	12. The Bond

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Saiyuki characters. They honorably belong to Minekura Sensei. Please don't sue me.

************************** 

Ayie: Uh oh! stumble head over heels. Someone wants to pay me for my fic? O_o. Yare….yare…I never expect that. Glad you enjoyed the fic Blackrose-san. I'm really happy to know that. ^___^.  Minna, there's nothing more important and happier for me than knowing you guys enjoyed my fic. Arigatou bowed head, minna-san. Loved you! You know? You can help make the fic better by adding in your opinions and idea in your reviews. 

Gojyo: Oi oi! You are not fair… you focused more on Sanzo, Goku and Aiko in your recent chapters. What about us?

Kazo: nodded I agree with the baka…

Ayie: -__-"…Gomen minna-san…I don't mean to put you aside.

Gojyo and Kazo: Humph!! Looked away

Hakkai: Yare….yare…desune

***************************** 

Chapter 12 – The Bond

Hakkai bent down and picked something from the ground. He inspected the object he just picked up and sighed.

"What is it Hakkai?" Asked Kazo as he put one hand on Hakkai's shoulder. He peeked over the brunettes shoulder and tried to identify the object Hakkai's holding between his fingers.

"A bullet from Sanzo's shoureiju" Hakkai replied as he scanned the area around them. The were dozens of bullets scattered on the ground, just as the same size as the one he was holding right on his palm. "Looks like there's a fierce battle had occurred here before…probably yesterday" Hakkai made a wild guess, judging on the color of the bloodstain on the ground. The bloodstains had dried up, leaving numerous spots of cooper brown everywhere on earth. From its color, Hakkai was sure that the bloodstain belong to a human, Sanzo was on the top of the list of his mind. 

"Sanzo was wounded" Hakkai concluded. His already distorted face became even worse. 

Gojyo sighed. 'No doubt, from the number of bullets he had waste, he must have fought an army of youkai'. He glanced at Hakkai, who had rose up to his feet. 

"Aiko was here" Kazo picked up a piece of cloth from the ground. The cloth was covered with dry bloodstains but he could still recognize it as the cloth his sister wore around her waist. "This was her waistband" Kazo held out the cloth to the elder bishounens.

"And there's a familiar smell of yuki" Hakkai exclaimed. 'Probably belong to Goku'. "Well at least we know they were together" he said calmly, trying to reassure everyone including himself.

"I just hope Aiko was not wounded" Kazo voiced out his concern upon his sister, the first time since the ambush. Hakkai and Gojyo looked at him with wonder and sympathy. 'So, the kid was worried after all'. "She couldn't heal herself with her power" Kazo explained as he lifted his face and smiled. 

"Kazo…" Hakkai put on a hand on the boy's shoulder and looked at him with empathy. He tried to say something to cheer the boy up but no words emerged in his entangled mind.

Suddenly, Kazo slapped his head. "What am I saying?" he asked himself. "Aiko was a big girl now, she'll be responsible for herself" Kazo shook his head in disbelief. 'How can I doubted her ability? Aiko trusted me to believe in her'. 

Hakkai smiled. The boy really knows how to reassure himself and perhaps the people around him too.

Gojyo smirked at the boy's word. That little boy was already a man before his age. Kazo did remind him of himself when he was young. 'Always acted like you are so brave and like there is no fear for anything'. 

_"Now, don't start crying" said Jien to the little boy behind him as he glanced around the foggy woods. They were absolutely lost in the middle of nowhere. _

_"Who's crying? I'm not crying!" He replied harshly. Yet he was right, no tears seemed to fall down on his cheeks, even a single drop._

_Jien looked at him with concern and wretched looks. He looked at him as if he's saying 'Stop pretending, cry out loud, release your fear'. He just ignored the look and walked away. Jien tailed him with a pathetic smile._

Gojyo was once a boy who hid his true feelings underneath his genki self, and he still is. He never thought how that would disturb his brother's mind completely. But now, seeing the boy in front of him doing the same thing he did years ago, Gojyo seemed to feel a little bit disturbed. The boy was hiding the feeling of sorrow and the pain in his mind and body and that made Gojyo felt miserable. Now he understood how Jien must have felt years before.

"Well, we don't have to worry about Sanzo or Goku's wounds to get any worse if Aiko was with them" Hakkai ruffled Kazo's hair as he made the conclusion. Aiko would have treated their wounds finely with her healing power. There was no need to worry about the men, but what if Aiko was the one who got injured? That's definitely a problem. Neither Sanzo nor Goku had the ability to heal and they were bad at nursing either. Alas, Kazo was right, Aiko couldn't heal herself if she was injured. A sudden fear surfaced in him. "We should hurry up" he said it beyond his conscious. 

Kazo looked up to Hakkai. He took Nimmiku off his shoulder and stared upon that little dragon's face.

"Kyu!!" Nimmiku cooed, ready to carry out her master's order. 

"Nimmiku, I need you to fly away and observed the area for any river" Kazo patted the dragon's head as the latter nuzzled playfully at his face. 

"Baka kiddo!" Gojyo's fist landed on Kazo's head. "River? Why are you interested in searching for a river when we were busy looking for your sister?"

"Ittai!" Kazo clutched his head. He punched the man back on his tummy, sending Gojyo to bent down and clung to his abdomen. He groaned underneath his breath.

"Ma…ma…let's kiss and make up, we're on a mission to find missing comrades here" Hakkai tried to evoke peace among the two red haired. 

"He's the one who started it!" Kazo blamed it on Gojyo as he pointed his forefinger to the mentioned man. 

"Nani?!" Gojyo protested. "You are the one being so dumb ordering the dragon to find for a river!" He was not satisfied. Adult or not, he's not going to give up.

Kazo stuck out his tongue to Gojyo. "The reason I did that is because Aiko always told me that if I got lost, headed for the river" he explained as he rubbed his aching head. "She would go and search for me along the river"

Hakkai and Gojyo startled. 'Okay, they never think of that before'

"Nimmiku, go now!" ordered Kazo as he pushed the she-dragon into the air.

"Kyu!!" Nimmiku flapped her wings and flew away as soon as she was summoned. She's heading to the south.

Harkuryu looked up to sky, sending his mate away with a soft coo. Hakkai patted his pet's head. "She'll be fine, we'll follow her" Hakkai reassured his little dragon. Hearing his master's word, Harkuryu flew onto the ground and transformed himself into his mechanical form. 

"Looks like Harkuryu was not fond of letting his girlfriend to wander alone" said Gojyo as he hopped in the car. Kazo climbed up to the backseat.

"Kyu…." Harkuryu cooed softly. 

Hakkai entered the jeep and turned on the ignition switch. "Well then, we should speed up ne Harkuryu?" Hakkai patted the steering wheel. 

"Kyu..kyu" Harkuryu cooed and sped away, all by himself.  

"Uh okay! Harkuryu really hates the idea of letting Nimmiku wanders alone to find the river" Kazo mumbled as he was sent backward by the sudden speed of the jeep. He had stumbled down on the floor and landed on his butt. "Ittai…." He groaned softly.

Hakkai smiled. He understood how Harkuryu would feel and he was sure he felt the same way too, right now.

**************************** 

"Are you sure about this?" Sanzo asked grimly as he gazed at the girl stood by the river. Aiko had suggested for them to get to the nearest river in order to find their missing teammates. 

"Harahetta yo Sanzo…." Goku had started whining for food. He tugged at Sanzo's oversized sleeve, hoping that he would be feed by doing that.

"TWHACK!!" in a matter of a moment, the harisen hit Goku right on the head. 

"Ittai….!!" Goku yelped with agony. He enveloped his head in his arms. "Demo…Sanzo.." He would never give up whining for food when his stomach had began to grumble out loud. 

"Urusai!!!" Sanzo roared with a vein popped out on his forehead. 

"Harahetta!!!!" Goku roared even louder, his eyes narrowed until it looked like a blade thrusting into Sanzo's eyes. His eyes sent out an electrical wave that penetrated straight into the amethyst eyes of his guardian.

Aiko sweat dropped. 'Goku must be terribly hungry that he has the guts to yell back at Sanzo like that'. She waited nervously for the harisen or shoureiju to appear in her sight.

"Ch!" Sanzo fell calm at sudden. He looked away from the fiery golden eyes of the boy's and grunted. He took out his cigarette pack and lit a cigarette. He blew out puff of smoke after he inhaled it deep into his lungs.

"Sanzooo…harahetta…harahetta…harahetta" Goku kept on chanting and there's no sign that he's going to stop. He tugged at the monk's robe and gave him a puppy eyes look. 

Sanzo searched for something from his robe and took out a meat bun. He stuffed the meat bun into Goku's wide opened mouth and ceased the chant instantly. Goku stared at him with astonishment and started to gobble the meat bun vigorously.

Aiko stumbled head over heels. 'How does this man keeps all the things inside his robe?'

"And you were saying?" Sanzo looked down to Aiko.

Aiko chuckled anxiously. "Nanda? Oh! The river" Aiko finally regained her consciousness. "I told Kazo that if he ever got lost, looked for the river and I'll search for him alongside the riverbank" she explained as she rose up to her feet.

"Sou ka…" Sanzo threw the cigarette butt away. "Then, let's wait" he sunk to the ground and sat cross-legged with his arms folded in front of his chest. He took out his newspaper and put on his reading glasses and started reading.

Aiko smiled. She sighed softly and kneeled by the riverbank. She placed the baby beside her and bent down. Aiko cupped the water using her hands and splashed the water all over her face. She took a deep breath and sighed with relief. She cupped for some more and drank from her hands.

Suddenly, Aiko heard a loud whoosh passed by her ears, and she felt her body being jerked slightly to the front by the wind that was caused from the swift movement of a figure lurching into the water. Aiko halted at her current position, astounded she was. 

The figure lurched into the water, stripping himself off from his shirt as he ran into the river. He jumped frantically into the water and caused a big splash of water to soar over the riverbank. Aiko was soaked wet by the splash. She stood dumbfounded.

"Goku!!!!" Aiko yelled with rage as she glared at the chirping boy in the river. Goku was singing happily as he swam inside the water, surpassing the water current with a new style of backstroke. He bobbed up and down cheerfully, and never did he pay any attention to the girl by the riverside. 

Aiko sweat dropped. She slapped her head and shook it with disbelief. Lastly, she just allowed a thin smile to appear on her rosy lips. She could never win over Goku. She might be if the boy turned out to be Kazo but Goku? She just couldn't.

Aiko took Dai out of the baby basket and undressed the baby. "You need a bath" Aiko said, making funny faces to the baby.

"Ch!" Sanzo grunted as he glanced at Aiko and Dai from the corner of his eyes. 

Aiko hummed as she bathed Dai by splashing a small amount of water onto the little guy's chubby body. She finished her task after a few minutes and searched for the babies' clothing. "Eeh…where did I put it?" Aiko's getting a little bit uneasy as she couldn't find the clothing in her backpack, and the baby in her arms had already started to cry. Dai got restless by Aiko's movement.

"Sanzo, please hold the baby for me?" Aiko looked at Sanzo with a pleading look. Her sapphire blue eyes seemed to glitter magnificently. She blinked continuously and her lips trembled as if she was about to cry.

"K'so!" Sanzo grabbed the baby away. He couldn't stand the look she gave him, so pathetic and stupid. 

"Yosh!" Aiko giggled in glee as she went back to search for Dai's clothing. She wouldn't want to risk of having Sanzo whacking Dai's head if she tried to slow the things down. 

"Hayaku…omae baka!" Sanzo muttered as he held the giggling baby in front of his face. The baby reached out his chubby hands to Sanzo's face and flailed it frantically in front of him. He babbled something and blew up bubbles from his mouth. Obviously, Dai was trying to take Sanzo's glasses off his face. 'What was so adorable about this creature?'

"Hai! Hai!" Aiko turned her backpack upside down and scattered her belongings on the ground. Finally, she found it.

"Uwek!!" a sound of someone vomiting caught Aiko to become speechless. She turned around and found Dai's throwing up on Sanzo's robe. Sanzo on the other hand, had become terribly outraged. Aiko sweat dropped. The clothing she held in her hand slipped down to the ground.

Aiko darted toward Sanzo and immediately took the baby away from Sanzo. "Goku!" she called out for help. Goku, who stood jaw dropped at the latter scene, got out from the river at instance. Aiko held out the baby for him and he took him away without hesitation. He ran away to a farther distance, away from reachable distance of Sanzo's harisen and perhaps his bullets too. Aiko gulped as she gazed down upon the outraging monk. Sanzo's face had turned furiously red and numerous veins popped out on his face. His eyebrows twitched and his lips tremble with anger. 

"Shi---ne!!!" Sanzo howled and took out his harisen. He dashed toward Goku and Dai and was stopped abruptly by Aiko, who's pushing his body toward the riverbank. Sanzo struggled to set himself free but he slipped when the ground beneath his feet started to rumble. He fell tremendously into the river, bringing Aiko together with him. They sat dumbfounded in the river and stared at each other, speechless.

"Sanzo? Aiko?" Goku was startled. 

Aiko looked at Sanzo. "This is all your fault!" she yelled at him. 

"Nani?!" Sanzo argued. He flinched as Aiko swung her hand on the surface of the water and sent the water splashing to his face. "You're the one who dragged me to the river" he protested.

"Well, now you're clean right?" Aiko's voice turned softer as she realized she was the one who coaxed Sanzo to the river, even though she was not aware of that.

Sanzo looked down to his robe. Yes, his robe was clean but now he was soaked wet. "Ch!" Sanzo grunted and rose up. He walked surpassed the water current and climbed onto the riverbank. Aiko on the other hand just dived into the river, sending her hair to float on the surface. After a moment or two, she emerged to the surface. She was all wet and soggy. 

"Aiko?" Goku called out as the girl walked toward him and climbed to the riverside. Aiko smiled. She glanced toward Sanzo and pouted. "You are all wet" Goku complaint. 

Aiko untie her braid and twisted her hair to dry up the water. "Never mind, I like it this way" she released her hair and let it fell limply on her shoulder. "I used to play in the river with my o-nii-chan when I was a little girl, the river was a part of me" she said as she glanced adoringly at the river. 

Goku handed her a towel and she dried her drenched hair with it. "My o-nii-chan hated the river so much but I loved it" Aiko combed her damp hair with her fingers. "But he had to gave up his hatred for the river because I always made him went to the river with me" she chuckled as she shook her head.

"I feel sorry for your o-nii-chan, giving up his own dislike for someone like you" Sanzo teased Aiko. 

"Na..ni?" Aiko asked with rage. Her eyes narrowed until it looked like a dark blade. She was about to dart toward Sanzo when she heard something from the bushes up ahead of them. 

Goku summoned for his nyoibou and Sanzo took out his shoureijuu, ready for a surprise assault. Aiko took Dai away from Goku's firm grip and shielded him with her energy barrier. Then she stood abreast with Goku, forming a ki-beam through her palm. 

**************************** 

"Kyu!!!" Nimmiku appeared at sudden and darted toward Aiko. Aiko let her ki-beam vanished in a tiny puff as the little dragon crashed to her chest, sending her to jerk backward. 

"Nimmiku!" Goku was atounded. 

"Kyu!!!" suddenly Harkuryu's voice filled the air as a jeep floated in the air and landed in front of them. Sanzo, Goku and Aiko gawked at that sight, their hearts pumped fast and hard because the jeep almost landed on their heads. 

"Yare…yare…" Hakkai sweat dropped as he gazed at his three companions who stood like a statue in front of the jeep. Their faces were white pale and they looked like as if there's no tomorrow for them. 

"Oh God!" Aiko and Goku crashed down to the ground, straight and hard like a statue. They were knocked senseless by a narrow escape from the death call. Kazo leaped out from the jeep and darted toward his sister and Goku. He helped them to stand on their feet and waited for them to regain their balance.

  "Oro…oro.." Aiko's head spun madly. She staggered a bit and regain her balance soon after.

"Daijoubu ka Aiko?" Kazo asked as he held the girl's shoulder.

"Daijoubu da" Aiko answered calmly as she presented her brother a sweet smile.

Hakkai and Gojyo got out from the jeep and hurried to their comrades.

"You're late" Sanzo grunted.

"Gomen" Hakkai was so relief to see Sanzo was indeed all right. But the monk was wet and soggy, and they were strange bruises and bumps on his face. 'It's impossible that the bruises and bumps were caused by youkai's assault, Sanzo used a gun to finish his opponent…no way they could attack him from a close distance'

"What are you looking at?" Sanzo asked coldly. He realized what Hakkai was thinking and he was not fond of it.

"Nande monai" Hakkai replied as he chuckled edgily. 

"Daijoubu desu ka saru?" Gojyo looked down at Goku.

"Don't call me saru…kono ero kappa!" he lurched forward and tugged at the red haired hair.

"You sure you're okay?" Kazo asked again.

"Hai!" Aiko replied with wonders.

"Yukata!" Kazo chirped and at sudden he kicked Aiko's leg, causing his sister to yell in agony. 

"Nande sun dai yo?" Aiko asked as she rubbed her aching leg.

"That's for making me worried like hell" Kazo shrugged as he sunk his face to his sister's waist. Aiko startled. Sanzo, Hakkai, Gojyo and Goku looked at the pair. Hakkai smiled. 'Finally, he showed his concern upon his sister'.

Aiko gave a ghostly smile as she raised a hand and patted Kazo's head. But then, she poked the boy's head hard.

"Ittai….nande yo?" Kazo cried as he rubbed his head.

"That's for kicking me and uttering a foul language" Aiko gave out the reasons.

Gojyo laughed out loud, followed by Goku. Hakkai just smiled his typical Hakkai smile and Sanzo? He grunted heavily.

Suddenly a strong smell of yuki hovered the area, putting the ikkou in alert. In a matter of a second, a large army of youkai surrounded the place. The army consisted almost the same number of youkais they had fought counted together. The ikkou gathered in the middle, ready for a counter attack.

"Yada…yada…they won't let us rest for a moment don't they?" Gojyo grunted as he summoned his shaku jou. He stood back to back to Hakkai. 

"Hai!" Hakkai smiled as he formed a ki-ball down at his palm. "But this is a great opportunity for us to have an exercise"

"Hakkai, you are getting meaner each day" Sanzo mumbled as he backed away a few steps, looking for a right distance to aim his shot. 

Goku and Kazo stood abreast. "Harahetta yo…" they moaned. "They will pay for not letting me eat my breakfast first" Goku muttered. "Hai!" Kazo agreed.

"Aiko, you looked sexy with your hair like that" Gojyo complimented as he spotted the sight of Aiko's hair, long and straight.

"I'll kill you after I finished the youkai" Aiko tied up her hair. No way she's going to fight with the ero kappa looking at her with his hentai look.

Aiko placed Dai in her backpack and shielded him with her ki-beam. She wore the backpack to her back and stood in a fighting mode. "Let's have some fun!" she chirped as she released a ki-ball toward the youkai army.

"Yoshi!!" Her companions yelled back at her and they darted toward their opponent.

To be continue…..

****************************** 

Ayie: Now you're satisfied Gojyo? 

Gojyo: Huh!

Ayie: Argh!! Anoter fighting scene is coming….I'm dead. stumbled on the ground

Hakkai: You'll be fine ayie-san…just trust in yourself. We trust in you…

Sanzo: Well, I don't trust you…you might make me wounded again..

Hakkai: ma…ma…Sanzo, don't be too harsh on her.

  
  
 


	13. The Confrontation

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Saiyuki characters. They honorably belong to Minekura Sensei. Please don't sue me.

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Ayie: Help me!!! I'm a bit discouraged here…. I thought that my fic is getting boring and dull that I got no more review….cries sadly. Am I right? Should I continue or should I stop? 

Hakkai: Ma….ma…ayie-san, don't give up. You wrote this fic because you are very fond of Saiyuki, don't you? And you love writing…that's the reason why…don't give it all up..

Ayie: I love writing, but I'm afraid that my fic was bad and terrible that no one wanted to read and review it continue to sob. May be I was a bad writer after all…

Gojyo: How do you know? Omae wo ba-ka…

Goku: Don't stop now! Don't give up….tugged at Ayie's sleeve, looking at her with puppy eyes

Ayie: May be you're right… after all, I'm fond of writing…and I loved Saiyuki! Don't worry, I'll continue and I'll complete this fic once and for all.eyes shining like stars

Hakkai, Gojyo and Goku: Yeah! That's the spirit.

Ayie: But…but.. I'm really suck in writing fighting scene….head hung low and sobbed..again! All: -___-" sweat dropped

Sanzo: Ch! Don't waste your time consoling her….She's in a bad mood due to the weather…and the fact that she's going back to the university after a month..

Ayie: Urusai!!!!switched on the laptop and starts to type Sanzo: smirked devilishly. Hakkai:nudged Sanzo with his elbow and smiled nice going…  Sanzo: Ch!

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Chapter 13- The Confrontation  

Gojyo swung his shaku jou and sent the crescent blade to slash his opponent, turning the latter into dust. He advanced and hit another youkai with his shaku jou. The youkai burst and what was left of his assailant were ashes. He turned around and found several youkais darting furiously toward him in full speed.

"Ch! Don't you guys ever give up?" Gojyo smirked as he combed his hair with his hand. "Well, too bad coz you're going to die!" Gojyo dashed toward the youkais while at the same time swinging his shaku jou fiercely. The crescent blade was once again sent flying to kill several youkais on its way back to the shaku jou.

Gojyo settled his opponents in a nick of time. He looked at Goku. "Oi saru! I've got fifteen down" Gojyo hollered at Goku. He kicked another youkai in his way and yelled "That's another one"

"Twenty.." Goku jumped high up and landed his nyoibou on top of a youkai head. The mentioned youkai howled loudly before he vanished into thin air. "Twenty one…" Goku landed on the ground and immediately bashed another youkai behind him with a rapid swing of his nyoibou. At the moment he stood up, a youkai darted on him and tried to punch him on the face. Goku dodged the attack by swaying his face a little to the left as he presented his assailant with a hard blow in the stomach with the end of his nyoibou.  "Twenty….?" Goku blocked an attack with his nyoibou and returned it with a punch right on the youkai face. Goku turned around to Hakkai. "Hakkai…what's after twenty one?" he asked while he knocked down a youkai to the ground. The youkai turned to ash seconds after that.

Hakkai released a ki-ball and destroy several youkais right in front of him. He stood up and raised his forefinger to the sky. "That will be twenty two" He answered to Goku before he puched a youkai at his lower part and kicked another one at the face. A youkai thrust a spear toward him and Hakkai happily dodged the attack and returned it with his ki-ball.

 " I see you're getting stronger each day Goku thanks to my diet plan…but don't forget me, I'm the one who cooked for you…" Hakkai smiled and at the same time holding back a youkai's staff that almost bash him on the head. He grabbed the staff and tossed it aside, leaving the youkai to gawk nervously. "So that makes me a better fighter" He giggled as he smacked the youkai's neck with his palm. Another group of youkai was totally turned into dust by the courtesy of his ki-blast.

"Ch! You ARE getting meaner each day Hakkai!!" Sanzo growled as he shot continuously to five different directions, eliminating five youkais in a row. He reloaded his gun at instant and blasted a youkai that came hovering on top of his head. He eluded a fierce blow from a youkai's spear and shot his assailant without mercy, shattering the latter into dust. Sanzo grunted and turned around to blast two more youkais at his back. 

"BANG! BANG!" two more bullets penetrated the air and headed toward two youkai in the monk's way. The bullets hit its targets right on their heads and they tripped to the ground with a loud thump before turning into dust. The wind blew the dust away soon after. Sanzo smirked. He blasted off his last remaining bullet toward the last remaining youkai, for him. A new opponent charged at him with a sword held up high in his grip. 

"Shi-nee!!" The youkai jumped and brought the sword down to Sanzo's head but the monk stopped the blow by blocking it with his shoureijuu. At instant, the blonde monk kicked the youkai, sending the latter to soar away from him. A ki-blast dashed from behind him and wiped out his assailant once the eye blinked. Sanzo turned around and found Aiko smirking at him.

"I figured that you might need help" Aiko smiled as she dodged a brutal bash from a youkai staff. She knocked down the youkai with a sharp blow from the back of her hand. Her hand seemed to act like a sword. She swung around and kicked another youkai at his groin. The latter yelped in agony.

"Ouch! That must had hurt like hell" Gojyo shook his head with a distorted face. He swayed his shaku jou and annihilated his opponents as the crescent blade darted then slashed them into pieces. 

"Ch!" Sanzo took the chance to reload his shoureijuu. Once he was finished, another shot was released toward a youkai, dashing madly to him with a loud scream.

"You are making my ears hurt" Sanzo mumbled as he turned around and fired his gun.

Aiko released a ki-ball and fired it at a group of youkai who tried to snatch her backpack away. The youkais were blown into black dust and vanished at once. Suddenly, a youkai came scampered toward her with his hand forming a fireball. The fireball was released and Aiko was able to dodge it at the right time but was sent soaring in the air, away from her last standing position. Aiko flipped several times in the air and gain her balance by doing that, and at the same time she released a ki-blast onto the youkai. The result of her ki-blast was a big explosion that had illuminated large group of youkai and a big crack on the earth.

Gojyo stammered at that sight. 'Gee…better stay away from this girl'.

Aiko landed on her feet and stood up at instant. She backed away a few steps and bumped to someone's back. Her hair was untied when she turned her head and faced the man behind her. Aiko almost blasted a ki-ball before releasing it into a tiny puff of smoke. Her hair swayed freely and brushed the face of the man she had bumped into. 'Hakkai?'

Hakkai stood watching at the girl's face as her hair brushed his face softly. Their faces were so close that their nose almost touched. Both of the brunettes stared at each other's face and muted. 

"Ahem!" They were broken away from each other by an alarming cough of Gojyo. They gazed at their comrades and blushed, seeing a pair of bishounens and a pair of boys looking at them with a sneer look on their faces. They turned to look at each other's face once again and blushed severely.

"Gomen nasai" They apologized and bowed to each other at the same time, causing their heads to bump at each other's. They flinched and rubbed their aching heads. The flushes of red on their cheeks got even worse.

The youkais became terribly furious at that sight. The ikkou totally disregarded their existence. They were made fool by the ikkou and they couldn't take it anymore. The youkais charged madly toward the brunettes.

"Gomen!" Aiko was the one to apologize and she turned around abruptly, blasting the charging youkais with her ki-blast. Aiko tied her hair back into a ponytail. Hakkai might not saw her, but their other companions could clearly see the flushes of red on that girl's face as she charged at her opponents.

Gojyo flung an arm around Hakkai's shoulder. "Hakkai, there seems to be a chemistry between you two" Gojyo smirked. Hakkai just smiled as he punched a youkai that came darting from Gojyo's back. Gojyo stood dumbfounded.

"Gojyo, you better get back to your position" Hakkai smiled as he swerved to his back and kicked an assailant. Gojyo mumbled continuously as he charged madly to youkais at his back. He was terribly fumed at the surprise assault, which could cost him his life if Hakkai wasn't aware of it. 

'Chemistry huh?' Hakkai glanced at Aiko from the corner of his eyes. He smiled quietly and released a ki-ball toward his coming opponents. 

"Yosh!!" Kazo was indeed delighted to see the event between the brunettes. He ducked his body and kicked a youkai at his feet, making the latter to stumble down on earth with a loud thump. He lurched forward and jumped furiously onto another youkai, bringing him down to the ground. Kazo sat on the youkai's body and slammed the latter's face with his palm. His opponent fainted as his nose was broken into pieces, result of the blow from the boy's knuckle.

Kazo rose up and bashed his new opponent by jumping in the air and kicked the latter's neck. There's a loud crack on the youkai's neck before he stumbled down on earth, lifeless.

He was about to dash toward the last remaining youkai when he heard a scream from behind. Kazo turned around to find a youkai smashing his sword to his head. "K'so!" Kazo grumbled as he shielded his head with his arms, trying to prevent the worst damage that could happen. Before the enemies' sword made encounter with his head, a staff blocked the sword. 

Kazo looked at Goku. Goku was grinning toward him as he held the extending nyoibou to his direction. Goku had summoned his nyoibou to extend in order to block the sword from reaching Kazo's head. Goku lifted the nyoibou and sent the youkai to fly away to a far distance. Once again the nyoibou shortened to its normal length.

"Sankyu" Kazo shouted as he punched a youkai at his jaw with his palm. The youkai fell enormously to the ground, moaning at his broken jaw.

"Oi Kazo, you should be more alert next time" Aiko shouted from afar. She was well aware that her brother almost got killed. "I would not cry if you got killed you know" Aiko jested as she blocked continuous blows from several youkais with an energy barrier. 

"Nag..nag..nag…" Kazo whispered down at his throat. "Yeah! Yeah!" he replied to his sister. Goku chuckled.

************************ 

Lexus smirked as he glanced down at the foothill.

"Looks like we're losing all of our men" Wai appeared next to him. Lexus turned to face the older man and once again glanced at the carnage far below their position.

"It's time for us to act" Lexus turned around abruptly and walked toward three figures behind him. "Ikuzo!" he ordered as he secured the sword, thrusting out from his jacket. 

"Hai Lexus-sama" the three figures stood up and followed their leader. Wai trailed their steps after giving the battlefield a second look. 

************************** 

"Whoosh!" Hakkai's ki-ball swept his opponent and they vaporized in the thin air. He glanced around. No more youkai remained. They were all completely exterminated, except for one or two that were dying. 

They are the last one standing.

"Daijoubu desuka, minna?" Hakkai asked. That was his usual habit every time after they fought. 

"Harahetta yo…!!!" Goku and Kazo whined, clutching their grumbling stomach.

"Well, that was easy" Gojyo lit a cigarette, and put it between his lips. 

"Ch!" Sanzo was reloading his shoureijuu. That was the sixth times for today.

"Daijoubu da yo" Aiko replied, smiling to Hakkai.

Hakkai smiled. 'Well, everyone was fine'.

Aiko checked the tenant in her backpack. The baby was sleeping soundly. 'Thank God I fed him before'. She hoped the mother was all right. Aiko could not imagine that the innocent baby has to live alone if the mother would have not survives. She didn't want the baby she's holding in her arms to get the same bad luck as she had had. 

"It must be hard for you to let him go when it's time" Hakkai appeared from behind her at sudden. Aiko jerked forward slightly, shocked she was. 

Aiko sweat dropped as the man behind her smiled edgily. Aiko smiled back. "He belongs to his mother and I'll make sure of that" Aiko assured as she nuzzled her nose to Dai's cheek. The baby in her cradle giggled amusingly. Nimmiku perched on Aiko's shoulder, the first time in two days. The she-dragon peeped into her master's arms and cooed adoringly at the baby.

"Kyu!!" Harkuryu landed on Hakkai's shoulder and nudged softly to his master's face. Hakkai chuckled. 

"Well…well…look at that, two pairs of lovebirds" Gojyo smirked. 'His chance of flirting with Aiko was zero'. Gojyo looked at Hakkai. Now, the smile of his once-a-housemate pal was different from the usual smile he always displayed on his face. This smile is so sweet and sincere and it didn't hide anything. Happiness was clearly shown beyond that smile. Gojyo smiled. 'May be he had lived once again'. 

"Lovebirds?" Kazo looked at Gojyo. "What kind of birds are they?" he asked, curiously. He never heard that type of birds before.

"Can they be eaten ne Sanzo?" Goku tugged at Sanzo's sleeve.

There was a vein popped out at Sanzo's temple. His hands itched madly and he couldn't stand it anymore. He reached into his robe and took out his harisen.

"WHACK!!" he smacked at the boy tugging down at his sleeve.

"Ittai…!" Goku cried painfully as he clutched to his head. "Omae wo kechi.." he pouted and received another blow from the almighty harisen. Goku clamped his mouth shut. 

"I'll tell you next time since you're still a kid, kiddo" Gojyo ruffled Kazo's hair. The boy's face flushed with anger. 

"Don't call me kiddo! Kono gokiburi!" Kazo shouted as he jumped onto Gojyo's hair and bit the man's head. Gojyo hollered in agony. He tried to get Kazo off his head by pulling the boy's legs but Kazo was reluctant to let go. 

"GET.OFF.ME.Kono baka gaki!!!!" Gojyo shouted in alarm. 

Hakkai and Aiko turned to their comrades and sweat dropped. Looked like there's another bloodshed is going to happen between those four. They hurriedly went to their comrades. Aiko tried to calm the raging Sanzo from whacking the daylight out of Goku and Hakkai tried with full effort to disengage Gojyo and Kazo from each other.

"Yada…yada…I wasn't expecting the famous Sanzo-ikkou would be fighting among each other" an unfamiliar voice put the ikkou into sudden halt. They looked at the direction of the voice and found five strange figures standing handsomely.

The ikkou was once again stood in their fighting pose, getting ready to fight.

"I thought you will take a longer time to finish my men" the blue haired man, seemed to be the leader of among the five sighed as he shook his head. "Well, let's see how long will it take for you to finish us or perhaps for us to finish you" he took off his jacket and tossed it away as he drew out his sword. He stood in a fighting position, followed by the men behind him.

"We'll finish you in a matter of a second" Gojyo smirked as he glanced at the blue-haired man. 'This man is a human, but why does he took side on youkai?'. Gojyo gripped the steel bar of his shaku jou tightly. 

"I'm hungry and I'm not happy with it" Goku mumbled, irritated by the sudden appearance of the ikkou. He held his nyoibou firmly. "So, I'm going to kill you instantly!" he yelled out.

The blue-haired man smiled. "You must be Son Goku?" he said as he stared at Goku. "Well, let me introduce myself and my men" he continued.

"I'm Lexus, the leader of the youkai army of Baron's mansion and these are my men" he introduced himself without being asked. "We are the group from the Left Wing and we are known as Left Wing Assassins" he finished his sentence with his head bowing slightly.

"Nice meeting you" Hakkai bowed back. "But you see, we are not interested in knowing our enemy, it will makes us regret that we have to kill them" he looked up and smiled.

"Assassins or no assassins, we are going to assassinate you once and for all" said Kazo, ready to attack.

"Well then…let's begin our business" Lexus smirked. "It will be an honor for me to kill you with my own hands Genjo Sanzo" he sneered at the monk.

"Ch!" Sanzo grunted. "Not even in your nightmares" he said as he fired a bullet toward Lexus. Believe it or not, the blue-haired man dodged the bullet easily. 

"Is that all what you got?" Lexus smirked. 

"K'so!" Sanzo cursed. 'This man knew my aim as soon as I fired'

"Here goes!!" Hakkai released a ki-ball toward the enemy, which sent all of them to scamper around the area. Even the Sanzo-ikkou scampered around and faced their foes one to one. Goku stood protectively in front of Sanzo as Lexus advanced toward them.

"Sanzo?" Goku called out, asking for permission to handle this fight.

"Ch!" Sanzo grunted, the sign of 'yes'. He couldn't do anything when his opponent can easily dodge his bullet and furthermore, this foe was human. His shoureijuu was not meant to kill any human and without his spirit-ascending gun, Sanzo was in no condition of fighting anyone. 

"Arigatou" Goku uttered softly as he darted toward Lexus with the nyoibou held firmly in his hands.

Hakkai on the other hand, had to face Wai, the eldest of the Left Wing Assassins. They bowed to each other before backing away a few steps and stood in a fighting mode.

"Gomen, Ojisan…I do not favor of fighting an older man than me" Hakkai said with a melodious tone.

"Well, don't hesitate young man because I will not" Wai replied.

"Sorewa…." Hakkai smiled. "I've got no choice then" He blasted a ki-ball to Wai.

"With your outfit, there's no way you can bring any lady to bed" Gojyo teased his opponent, a big youkai with baggy outfit. "You should change your appearance"

"You talk too much" the big youkai, known as Yoda, smirked. "Never mind, talk as much as you wanted because after this you'll be talking no more" he jested as he drew out his spear.

Gojyo grinned. "The only time I was not talking was when I locked lips with girls" with that he dashed toward Yoda.

"Matte kudasai" Aiko put her opponent to a halt. The opponent, a young female youkai looked at her curiously. "Let have this fight clean and fair, do not get the baby involve in it" Aiko explained.

"Hai!" the female youkai, whom her comrades called Meili, nodded. Aiko quickly put Dai on top of a rock and shielded him with an energy barrier. She went back to her position. "You are so nice, it'll be a shame that you have to die at my hand" Meili smiled.

Aiko returned that smile. "One thing you don't know about me is that I died once" Aiko's word made Meili startled. "And being human, who can only lived once, I can't die twice" Aiko continued as she released a ki-blast to Meili and the latter returned it with an explosion from her mini bombs.

"You make me hungry!" Kazo yelled at the man in front of him. The youkai was barely the same height as his. "You are so short" Kazo said, quite amazed. The youkai burned with rage at that 'compliment'.

"K'so!" the dwarf youkai, named Sen, darted toward the half-breed. "You're dead meat kiddo!!" he cursed.

"Nani?!" Kazo jumped and darted toward Sen. "Don't call me kiddo, kono baka!!" 

The fight had started.

To be continue…..

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Ayie: There goes….my head almost burst, trying to picture the fight and finding the right words for every moves. Wah! My head's spinning….Oro…oro….@_@.

Goku: Brave yourself Ayie-nee-chan supporting Ayie from falling down

Hakkai: Well, ayie struggled to finish this chap…don't kill her if the fighting scene was dull and boring.

  
  



	14. The Abduction

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Saiyuki characters. They honorably belong to Minekura Sensei. Please don't sue me.

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Ayie: This chap is going to be like chap 13, filled with fighting scene….I'm dead for sure. Never mind, I'll try my best to picture the scene. And, don't worry. I'm not going to stop my fic halfway through….I'll finish this no matter what it takes…coz I'm proud of it…^O^laughed hysterically. Thanks for your support Azzie-san, GS-san..

The ikkou and the OCs: Bravo! Bravo! applause and cheering Ayie: blushed since she thought no one was listening

Ayie: I'm going to stop the fighting chaps, perhaps after this one or the next, to give way to Hakkai and Aiko… ehem...! But I'll continue the fighting scene soon…

Hakkai and Aiko: blushed

Ayie: Wii…I finished a fic dedicated for Mother's Day..Yipeeflipped around like crazy Sanzo: Ch!…She's crazy already…

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**Chapter 14 – The Abduction**

Aiko panted heavily as she glanced toward her opponent. She was losing a lot of her energy by releasing a lot of ki-blast and at the same time receiving numerous blows from Meili's mini bomb explosions. The last explosion sent her flying in the air and bumped furiously to a tree bark. Aiko spat out blood as her body made encounter with the tree. She fell down to the ground with a loud thump. Aiko looked up to Meili from the corner of her eyes. 'She's surely strong'. Aiko coughed out fresh blood. 

"Aiko!" Kazo glanced worriedly toward his sister as he kicked Sen on his lower part. He was about to rush over to Aiko when Aiko put him in a halt with a sway of her hand. Kazo retreated to his battle. That was Aiko's last decision. 

Hakkai glanced at Aiko. 'She'd lost a lot of her energy during the first attack'. Hakkai released a ki-ball toward Wai and darted toward Aiko. But then, a dagger that came dashing toward him at great speed stopped Hakkai abruptly. He dodged the attack and the dagger penetrated the ground near his feet. Hakkai turned and found Wai was dashing to his direction with a sword swung in a slashing mode. Hakkai ducked and slammed Wai's stomach with his fist. His inner force, which he gathered down to his fist sent Wai to jerk a few yards backward. Hakkai waited for the counter attack as Wai staggered to stand on his feet.

Hakkai took the opportunity and blasted a ki-ball toward the staggering opponent. But the opponent managed to dodge his attack by lurching to his right. Wai darted toward Hakkai furiously as the latter lurched to him with a ki-blast formed at his hands. Hakkai released the ki-blast and Wai didn't have time to elude it. The explosion sent Wai to stumble on the ground and fainted.

Gojyo was winning against Yoda. He swung his shaku jou and sent his crescent blade darting toward Yoda. The crescent blade hit Yoda's spear and the chain at the end of it rolled around the spear and locked it firmly. Gojyo pulled his shaku jou and took away with it the spear. Yoda was left disarmed. But he was not going to give up. Yoda darted toward Gojyo, trying to hit the latter with his bare hands. But Gojyo was able to avoid the attack and swung his shaku jou and slammed the crescent blade to Yoda's abdomen. The youkai's stomach was torn opened, revealing the flesh inside. Yoda was sent to stumble on the ground, wincing at the stabbing pain in his stomach. He gasped desperately for air before taking his last breath and died.

Sen flinched as Kazo's hard fist slammed his nose. He could feel his nose was broken into pieces. Blood came pouring down from his nostrils. He was getting weaker. 'My, this boy really knows how to fight'. He darted toward Kazo and lashed his whip upon the boy's head. Kazo blocked the whip with his arm and the whip twisted around his arm. Kazo held the whip with his other hand and pulled it with tremendous force. His act made Sen lost control of his whip and lost his balance. Kazo swung the whip and sent Sen to land on the ground. Blood rushed out from Sen's mouth and he was knocked senseless when Kazo jumped on top of him and punched him right on the face. The last blow broke his skull and Sen died instantly.

Lexus glanced at his men. The only one standing from his ikkou was Meili, but Meili was totally battered up and was coughing out blood. She had received a lot of fierce blows from Aiko. But it looks like she was winning against her opponent. Lexus' mind was snapped back to reality when Goku darted toward him with his nyoibou aiming at his head. Lexus, being less alert, received the blow right on his temple. The blow caused him to jerk back a few steps. 

"Lexus-sama" Meili called out with an anxious tone.

 Aiko looked up. 'So, that's her weakness'. Aiko stood up on her feet and staggered a bit before she regained her balance by supporting herself to the tree bark. She ignored the pounding pain in her chest, courtesy of Meili's blow, and gathered what was left of her ki-energy down to her palms. Meili was totally unaware of that. She thought she had won over Aiko once and for all. She turned around and by the time she realized what was happening, she was already too late to avoid it. A large ki-ball hit her right on the target. Meili stumble backward fiercely and landed on her arm. Her arms cracked at instance and caused her to scream with agony. 

Aiko walked toward Meili with a trembling gait. She'd used all her energy to finish this battle and it's not going to be soon before she could regain it back. As human, her power was limited. She looked at Meili with a sorry look. The female youkai was actually dying due to her inner injuries caused by Aiko's last blow. "Why…why I'd lost to you?" Meili asked sadly.

"I told you I died once and being human, I can only lived and died once" Aiko explained. 

"I don't understand" Meili shook her head. She was seeing things. Meili tried hard to focus her gaze upon Aiko. "What do you mean you'd died once when you're still standing in front of me?" Her voice was trembling.

"I was dead on the day my family being slaughtered in front of my eyes" Aiko exclaimed. "My family meant life to me and when they were murdered right in front of me, my own life and soul died with them" 

"I only live by the will to take care of my little brother" Aiko whispered as she glanced toward Kazo. "You lost because you're fighting a dead girl" she continued as she looked down to Meili. The girl youkai was panting heavily and gasping for air to breath.

"Sou ka…" Meili nodded. "It was an honor for me to die at your hands" she closed her eyes, drinking away the last elixir of life around her.

"Gomen nasai, I don't mean for you to end this way" Aiko bowed her head. "I took the advantage of you being less alert when you drew your attention toward Lexus" She explained. Deep down inside, she felt rather guilty. 

Meili smiled. "You earned it, it's my fault to mix up my feelings with my job" She said. "I loved him so much that I'm willing to die for him" Meili inhaled painfully. Breathing was made hard for her right now. A thin line of tears trickled down her bruised cheeks. She convulsed and took her last breath. Aiko bowed her heart respectively and brushed Meili's face with her palm. With that she closed her eyes forever.

"Meili-san!!" Lexus cried out loud. He darted toward Meili but was blocked abruptly by Goku's extending nyoibou. The nyoibou was lifted up by his owner and hit him right on the face. He stumbled to the ground. 'This kid was so strong, I'd harvested my energy down to its last but he still stood unharmed'. 

Lexus staggered and rose up to his feet. Once again, he darted toward the young heretic with his sword thrusting toward his opponent. But Goku was able to dodge his assault by leaping up into the air, bringing the nyoibou down to his head. The nyoibou hit him really hard on the head, causing him to stumble head over heels to the ground. This time he had no energy to get up at once. He lied on the ground, feeling numb all over his body. The last blow from Goku had paralyzed him from head to toe. The only thing he could do right now was to move his head.

Lexus glanced around, his men was no more. Each one of them, including him was dying. Meili on the other hand, had become lifeless. But then there was a rare flicker of serenity upon that girl's face. Lexus sighed and glanced at Goku. "You're a great fighter, dying at your hands was the last thing I wished before I die and I had gained my wish" He said it with a trembling and feeble voice. 

Goku was astounded. He looked at Sanzo as the latter grunted heavily. "Why did you choose this way of life?" Sanzo asked as he kneeled on Lexus' side. 

Lexus grinned and coughed fiercely. "My parents was killed by humans and that old man there was the one to save me from the massacre" He explained as he glanced toward unconscious Wai. "Since then, I hated myself for being human, the race that had finished my family….but the man brought me new life by taking care of me as his own son" he continued before coughing out blood. 

"Ch!" Sanzo looked away. 'Another twist of fate'

"It's better to live as a youkai than living as the one who had took your life away without killing you" Lexus smiled. The flicker of satisfaction was shown upon his face. "I'm happy with it and to die as a youkai…was a victory" He said. 

Aiko fell down to her feet. She has no more energy left. Any slight blow would have killed her right away. As soon as she was about to fall onto the ground, a strong hand caught her by her shoulder. Aiko looked up, and found Hakkai staring down at her with a concern look. Aiko's sight was totally blurred by the blood pouring down from her injured head, caused from the hard collision of her head with the tree bark. She could feel Hakkai's hand brushing her hair and she felt the warmth of his hand against her forehead. Hakkai was healing her with his ki-energy. She clung to Hakkai's waist and grasped at him tightly, trying to shove the pain away. Aiko felt that Hakkai's grip at her shoulder is getting firmer. 

"Would she be okay?" Kazo darted toward the brunettes and kneeled next to his sister. Hakkai was cradling Aiko as he tried to heal her with his ki-energy. Aiko was clinging to Hakkai, gripping tightly and painfully. She was gasping for air desperately.

"She'll be fine but her energy was totally drained up" Hakkai explained. He tried to smile but his effort was a vain. Soft moans escaped from the lips of the fragile being beneath his chest. Hakkai glanced down and swept the beads of sweat formed on Aiko's forehead. The girl's moans finally ceased as Hakkai had finished healing her wound. But Aiko was still too weak and feeble. It's impossible for her to recover her energy at instant when she's only a human.

"I fought you fair and I accept my lost with pride" Lexus heaved with pain. He smiled as Sanzo and Goku grunted. 'This man reminds them of Kougaiji'

"My…my…Lexus, Baron-sama was totally disappointed in you" suddenly a husky voice filled the air. The Sanzo-ikkou and Lexus glanced to the direction from where the voice came from and gawked at the sight of a man with white hair tied up in a ponytail floating on air. He was surrounded by a large white aura. "I shall finished you as a punishment from Baron-sama" he said as he formed a large ki-ball in between his palms. He released his ki-ball and it darted toward Lexus, Sanzo and Goku. 

"Sanzo!! Goku!!" Hakkai shouted in alarm, as he couldn't do anything with him holding Aiko in his hands. Gojyo ran toward his companions, but he was too late as the ki-ball hit the ground and caused a big explosion.

"Sanzo!!! Goku!!!" Gojyo screamed from the top of his lungs.

*********************** 

Hakkai looked at the standing figure in the fading smoke. The figure staggered as he stood protectively in front of Lexus. 

"Wai!!" Lexus cried out loud. His hand tried to reach the man who is a father to him, but it couldn't even touched the man. Wai was terribly battered by the explosion. He fell down on his knees.

"Those years I spent raising you was the best of my entire life…" Wai whispered as he stumbled slowly to the ground. "You are my best son, Lexus" the last words were uttered with a thin curl on his lips. Wai gasped and breathed his last.

Hakkai bowed his head as a sign of respect for the vanishing soul. In a blink of a second, Wai lurched unnoticed toward the darting ki-ball and stood in front of Lexus, blocking the ki-ball with his own body. His effort succeeded but it cost him his own life.

"NO!!!" Lexus burst out crying. He looked at the figure floating in the air. "Xiang, you could at least spared him…" he said as his eyes flickered with rage. He pushed himself up and rose to his feet. He almost stumbled a couple of times but he managed to regain his balance. He looked at the man named Xiang and darted toward him furiously.

"Lexus-san!!!" Hakkai knew what the result of that counter attack. 

Lexus jumped and swung his sword onto Xiang's head. His effort was vain as the latter dodged it with a slight tilt of his head. Xiang swayed his hand and hit Lexus right on the back, causing the blue-haired man to fling away and bumped onto the ground. Crimson liquid burst out from his mouth. Mercilessly, Xiang blasted another ki-ball onto Lexus and burned that man to death.

"K'so!!!" Goku darted toward Xiang with nyibou held tightly in his grip. He waved his almighty staff toward the man's head but the latter grabbed the nyibou and tossed it aside. Goku lost hold of his weapon and was darting bare handed in the direction of Xiang. Xiang caught him by his neck and chocked him before throwing Goku away from his sight. Goku landed on his head to the ground and blacked out. 

"Goku!!" Gojyo took his turn and dashed toward the floating man. Xiang blasted a ki-ball toward him but he avoided it by jumping higher in the sky. He swung his shaku jou on his head and sent the crescent blade darting toward Xiang. Xiang smirked.

"K'so, he's smiling" Gojyo was astounded. He was shocked to see the man disappeared right before the crescent blade could slash his chest. At sudden Xiang reappeared right in front of him and punched him on the chest. Gojyo spat out blood and fell tremendously to the ground. 'Darn, I didn't even realize his movement'. Gojyo made encounter with the ground beneath him soon after. He flinched at the pain in his chest. The punch must have broke one or two of his ribs.

"Gojyo! Goku!" Hakkai, Sanzo and Kazo cried out. Sanzo fired his shoureijuu toward Xiang but the bullet was absorbed into the energy field that shielded him. "K'so!!" Sanzo cursed beneath his breath as he shot another bullet and another and another. Neither one of the bullets hit their target, as they were absorbed one by one into the energy barrier. Sanzo grunted as he ran away to dodge a ki-ball fired upon him. But another ki-ball hit him and caused him to stumble on earth, motionless. His body was numb all over. 

"He cast the crouched spell on Sanzo, to make him motionless" Hakkai looked at his companions who were totally battered. Gojyo was lying on the ground, wincing on his injury, Goku was knocked senseless and Sanzo was not able to move a muscle. Hakkai lifted Aiko's head from his lap and carefully placed her his folded backpack. "Take care of your sister for me Kazo" Hakkai held Kazo firmly on his arms.

Kazo stammered. He had heard those words before. He shook his head and looked up to Hakkai. "No…don't" he almost cried but he shook the tears away. 'Don't say it like Leon did'.

Hakkai smiled and rose up. He walked toward Xiang and stood in a fighting mode. 

Xiang smirked. "I'm not here to fight you, I just want the baby" Xiang explained as he looked down to the man with monocle on the ground. 

"Not before you step over my dead body" Hakkai smirked as he blasted a ki-ball toward Xiang. Xiang was able to dodge it and laughed arrogantly. But another ki-ball darted toward him and hit him right on the face. The ki-ball somehow managed to penetrate his energy barrier. Xiang darted down to Hakkai and bashed the latter with his fist. Hakkai, being too weak after losing his energy from healing Aiko, couldn't elude the blow and received a fierce blow onto his face. Hakkai spat out fresh blood. Xiang was about to illuminate the brunette for once and for all when a ki-blast from an unknown source hit him and caused him to stagger a bit, making his blow on Hakkai swerved at the wrong direction. 

"Aiko!" Hakkai cried out as he glanced to Aiko who was staggering on her feet. The girl looked terribly haggard and feeble. Xiang smirked.

"Come and face me, Liamm" Aiko's voice trembled as she glared at Xiang. Xiang laughed menacingly at Aiko's last word.

"Liamm was no more, now what was left is me Xiang!" With that Xiang darted toward Aiko and grabbed her by her neck. The man lifted Aiko into the air and at the same time slapped Kazo who was kicking his waist, urging him to let his sister go. Xiang punched Kazo on the face and threw that kid away from him. Kazo landed on the ground and dozed off.

"Kazo…"Aiko called to her brother with shaky voice. She held out a trembling hand toward the direction where her brother lied motionless. She groaned when Xiang's grip on her neck was getting firmer. She was out of her breath and gasped for air. Aiko struggled to let herself free but her energy was down to the limit. She had no more energy to fight back. 

"I can kill you here right now, at this time but on second thought…" Xiang smiled as he looked up to Aiko. Her face was pale blue and her lips turned to white. "I'll let you live so we can have a another duel" Xiang let go off Aiko and slammed his palm to her chest, making Aiko to jerk backward and fell down onto the ground. Aiko almost landed furiously on the ground when Hakkai darted toward her and caught her. Hakkai landed on his feet with Aiko in his cradle. 

"And I guess I'll take him in order to make sure that you'll come for our next duel" Xiang said as he took Dai away. The energy barrier that Aiko had cast to shield Dai vaporized as Xiang touched it. Hakkai could only watched as the baby was taken away. He had lost most of his energy that any effort to stand up to his feet was impossible. 

"Until we meet again, I'll promise that this baby will be left unharmed" Xiang uttered as he darted into the sky and vanished in thin air, taking Dai away with him. "Soreja… Reika!!" his last words filled the air.

"K'so!!" Gojyo cursed as he watched the white-haired man disappeared.

"Darn…" Aiko muttered under her breath as she dozed off in Hakkai's arm. 

"Aiko! Aiko!" Hakkai called out as he glanced down to Aiko's face. 'No! No! Don't die!'

"Reika….?" Sanzo finally was able to move again. He rose up and glanced around. Goku and Kazo were coming around and Gojyo was able to stand up on his feet after pushing himself with large effort. Goku and Kazo shook their heads to shove the dizziness away when their eyes caught the sight of Aiko, unconscious in Hakkai's cradle. The boys darted toward the brunettes.

Sanzo stared at the unconscious girl with disbelief. 'Aiko is Reika?'

To be cotinue…..

********************************* 

Ayie: Wohooho! I finished the fighting chaps already…(actually there are several more but that was in phase 2)…now…I want to concentrate on Aiko's background and of course Reika too…^o^, ah…not to mention the chap on Hakkai and Aiko…wiee…!!!

Sanzo: She had gone totally insane…

Ayie: Say what ever you like…but in the next chap I'll make you fluffy…Yay!

Sanzo: Shi…ne…!!! whacked the daylight out of Aiko

Hakkai: Well, she does need that looked at sleeping Ayie….she worked really hard to give out the best fighting scene in this fic. 

Goku: She also has something to say for the readers…especially Azzie-san and GS-san, thank you for supporting her… she'll never stop writing this fic…instead she got a lot more fics coming soon… 


	15. The Hidden truth

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Saiyuki characters. They honorably belong to Minekura Sensei. Please don't sue me.

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Ayie: I finally finished a short humor fic about Goku having chickenpox in 'Chickenpox Blues'. My first attempt to write humor fic actually occurs to me after recalling the event of my father chasing me all around the house to get me to take the medicine for my fever….Well, that actually happened when I was sooo little…don't know how the respond on the fic would be….

Sanzo: Oi oi! Don't boast about other fic when you're doing this fic… it's a waste of time..you got a another chapter to finish.

Ayie: Honto ni?  Sanzo: slapped forehead with annoyance first she's crazy…and now she's having amnesia.. pulled Ayie's hand and dragged her toward the laptop now…start typing!!!made Ayie sat down in front of the laptop and switched it on for her

Ayie: stared at the laptop blankly  Sanzo: vein popping on forehead Hayaku baka onna!! Start the chap… Ayie: grumbled grumbled grumbled 

Goku: Ayie-nee-chan, start writing onegai….looked at ayie with a puppy look and gave her a peck on the cheek Ayie: Hai!!! start typing like crazy

Hakkai: chuckled Yare…yare…looks like no one can win over Goku… Gojyo: shook head in disbelief

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**Chapter 15 – The Hidden Truth**

Hakkai glanced at Kazo, who's walking to the door with a trembling gait. "Kazo…" Hakkai's voice popped out at a sudden when Kazo pushed the door opened. Kazo turned around to him and smiled. "Where are you going?" asked Hakkai asked as he returned the smile with a very thin curl on his lips. 

"I just want to get the firewood" Kazo answered with a feeble voice. He smiled to Hakkai and glanced toward Aiko, who was lying unconscious on the bed. He looked back to Hakkai. Hakkai had been sitting by Aiko's bedside since several hours ago. Kazo turned his head away and stepped outside the hut and closed the door softly. 

Hakkai watched with a wretched look as the boy left the hut. He glanced to the fireplace. There was still a high stack of firewood, enough to keep the fire burning for the whole night. Hakkai sighed. 'The boy is faking out a reason to hide his true feeling'. Hakkai turned to look at Goku. The young companion of theirs didn't look any better than Kazo. He sat by Aiko's bedside since the first time they found the forsaken hut and rested Aiko on the bed in it. 

"Goku" Hakkai called out. Goku looked up to Hakkai and waited for the brunette to say something. "Can you go after Kazo?" Hakkai asked. He knew well that it took a kid to understand how a kid felt, and he was sure that Goku would understand how Kazo would have felt at this time. 

Goku rose up and headed toward the door. But then, he stopped and turned around. "Hakkai" he walked back to Aiko's bed and stood by Hakkai's side. Hakkai looked down to Goku and raised his eyebrows. "She would be fine right?" he asked. Hakkai smiled and ruffled the boy's hair. He nodded unwillingly.

Goku gripped Hakkai's arm. "Why don't you try kissing her?" he asked as he stared upon Aiko's still face. That statement left Hakkai astonished. Flushes of red appeared on his face at sudden. He gazed down to the boy next to him.

"Wh…why..you..ssa..said…that?" Hakkai stuttered. He was terribly embarrassed. Does Goku know how he really felt? But he was sure he never showed how he truly felt toward Aiko.

"Sorewa.." Goku hung his head low. "Aiko told me about the legend of the kiss that could cure any sickness, even the deadliest one" He explained, as naïve as a kid would be. "You just kiss her and may be she'll be fine" Goku urged Hakkai as he pushed the emerald eyed man to bent down toward Aiko. 

Gojyo, who was sitting at the corner of the hut, glanced at Hakkai and Goku. He smirked as he realized that Hakkai's face was blushing severely and there's a sense of guilt flickered in the brunette's eyes. Gojyo pushed himself to his feet and flinched at the stabbing pain in his chest. Hakkai healed the wound a moment ago and what was left of it was the pain he's having right now. He walked in a feeble gait toward Goku and Hakkai. 

"Goku" Gojyo put a hand on Goku's shoulder, making the boy stopped pushing Hakkai. Goku looked up to him. "Let's go after Kazo" He said as he dragged Goku with him. He looked back to Hakkai from the very end of his ruby eyes. 'Now you owe me one Hakkai'. Gojyo turned his gaze toward the door, into the silence of the night. Goku on the other hand didn't even protest as he was dragged out of the hut by the red haired hanyou.

Hakkai sighed as he watched Goku left with Gojyo. He turned and looked around the hut. Sanzo was leaning against the wall. That monk hadn't turned his gaze upon Aiko since they last entered the hut. Aiko had being lying unconscious and motionless since they left the battlefield. She struggled to fight for her life since then and the result of her battle hadn't yet being decided. She was still struggling, fiercely. Xiang's last blow broke several of her ribs and dislocated the join in her shoulder. That didn't count her inner wounds, which were fatal. 

"Naa Sanzo" Hakkai broke the silence that's hovering the air in the hut. "You really think she's your long lost friend?" asked Hakkai, curiously. Sanzo had mentioned about him having a thought that Aiko could be his long lost childhood friend named Reika. But he was not sure of it until he heard the answer from Aiko's own mouth, which was impossible right now since Aiko was really in a bad shape. 

Sanzo grunted. "Actually not only a friend, but a sister by oath" He answered. "We swore to be brother and sister forever and be bound by the bond until we died" Sanzo explained. 

Hakkai smiled. "Sou ka…." He stared upon Aiko's face. The girl's face is forming beads of sweat as her body trembled with cold. Hakkai fastened the blanket around Aiko's body and swept the sweat away. He took a piece of cloth and soaked it with water from the bucket by Aiko's bedside. Hakkai squeezed the water away and dabbed the damp cloth on Aiko's burning face. Hakkai had used almost three quarter of his energy to heal Aiko's wound and what remained was a high fever that was still going up and up. 

Hakkai folded the damp cloth and put it on Aiko's forehead. He caressed Aiko's face soothingly as the latter moaned softly. Hakkai sighed. 'Aiko was human and as a human, she will never recovered from her wound instantly'

Sanzo looked at Hakkai from the corner of his eyes. One glimpse and he had already known what was going on in Hakkai's mind and probably in his heart too. Sometime he just wished he didn't have the ability to hear other people's inner voice. It's too private at times and Sanzo didn't want to listen without the owner's permission. Sanzo rose up to his feet and went toward the door.

"Sanzo, where are you going?" asked Hakkai as he glanced toward Sanzo. The monk halted at his last pace and grunted. He didn't even turned around to look at the brunette. 

"I'm going for a night walk" he answered as he pushed the door opened and stepped outside. But then, he stopped and muttered "You might want to try kissing her like Goku had suggested…the legend was actually a real one" with that he stepped further and disappeared in the dark.

Hakkai stammered at the monk's last utterance. He never expected that to come out from the blonde guy's mouth. In fact it never came across his mind that Sanzo would actually agreed with Goku. Hakkai stared at Aiko's face and sighed sadly. The girl reminded of Kannan. Her hair, her smiles, her words, her tenderness… Hakkai let out a deep breath. But he actually found her attractive in her own ways, not because she resembled his long gone wife. There's something in Aiko that made him felt uneasy. If he were to love her, it would be for her being herself not for her being another Kannan. And that was what Hakkai felt about Aiko right now. He's falling for her. 

Hakkai reached out a hand and touched Aiko's cheek, so soft but yet so cold. His hand wandered around the girl's face and at the same time sweeping the sweats off. Aiko moaned softly and stirred restlessly as Hakkai's hand moved around her face. Hakkai stopped his hand gesture. 'May be she doesn't want me by her side'. But then, he was proved wrong when Aiko suddenly grasped at his shirt tightly as he wanted to stand up and go away. Hakkai sunk back to the bed, by Aiko's side and looked at the latter's face. She's having a convulsion and the pain seemed to kill her. Aiko gasped desperately for air. Her chest heaved painfully as she breathed. 

"Hakkai, please don't go" Aiko whispered in between her painful breath. Aiko didn't even open her eyes, yet she knew it was Hakkai by her side. She cried softly and gritted her teeth, trying to hold the pain with her strong will to survive. 

"Iya…I'm not going anywhere" Hakkai reassured as he held Aiko's hand tightly in his own. With his other hand, he caressed the girl's head. "I'm here with you" Hakkai continued as he drew Aiko's hand near to his face and kissed it tenderly. He just wished he could do something to shoo the pain away but he just couldn't. He could not use his healing power to heal the injury that was caused by the chemical reaction of the body. The heat was paralyzing Aiko's body system but the girl's defense system refused to surrender. Hakkai knew very well that there's a fierce battle going on inside Aiko's body and if she could not handle it, the battle might cost her life. 

Hakkai fell downcast at his disability to help Aiko reduced the pain. He was not able to do anything to at least help her fell calm. Hakkai sunk his face into Aiko's palm, which he was holding tight in his own. 

_"Why don't you try kissing her?"_

_"Aiko told me about the legend of the kiss that could cure any sickness, even the deadliest one"_

_"You might want to try kissing her like Goku had suggested…the legend was actually a real one" _

Goku and Sanzo's voice popped out in Hakkai's mind at sudden, making the emerald- eyed man stammered. He lifted his face and stared at Aiko. "A kiss?" Hakkai uttered beneath his breath. He shook the thought away. Hakkai was too obsessed with modern medical practice that it's impossible for him to think twice about carrying out a superstitious practice. But then, may be it was worth to try since he had no other choice left.

Hakkai bent down and drew his face closer to Aiko's. Being unsure, he hesitated and almost cancelled his attempt. But Aiko's convulsed for the second time, making Hakkai quickly landed a peck on the girl's forehead. His kiss stayed on the girl's temple for quite some time before he drew his lips to the lower part of Aiko's face. Hakkai stared at the girl's sweating face before he sunk his lips to hers and amazingly, the convulsion ceased and Aiko stopped moaning. The pain seemed to go away. 

Hakkai lifted his face from hers. He smiled gratefully. The legend was proven right. A kiss could cure even the deadliest pain. Aiko had once again fell into her deepest sleep and rested peacefully. Hakkai sighed with relief. He might get a little carried away, but he did help the girl to ease down. 'Never mind, I'll apologize later'.

Hakkai pulled the blanket on Aiko's body and covered the latter's body to her neck. He smiled as he brushed away a lock of raven black hair on Aiko's forehead. "Just rest… We'll talk about this later, when you wake up" 

****************************** 

Kazo dropped the dried sticks that he had collected from around the area near the hut on the ground. Goku and Gojyo looked at him as he returned their gaze with a wide smile. Gojyo forced himself to smile. "There goes, we'll never freeze for tonight" Kazo exclaimed as he gazed down to the sticks. He hugged himself as he felt a sudden breeze blew on him. "It's quite chilly tonight" 

Goku and Gojyo exchanged glances and turned back to Kazo. Now Kazo was heading toward the river. "Kazo?" Goku called out.

"I'm going to do fishing…" Kazo waved his hand without turning his face to them. He ran to the river as he wiped the streaming tears on his cheeks with a swift movement of his arms. He didn't want to cry, it would only makes him weak. But he couldn't help it because the tears were uncontrollable. 

"K'so" Gojyo grumbled as he ran over the slope for Kazo. He didn't like it when the genki boy turned his back on him in order to hide the tears. Goku tailed him from behind. Gojyo hastened his pace as Kazo was speeding into the river. He reached just in time before Kazo could lurch himself into the icy cold water. Gojyo grabbed Kazo's arm and yanked him away from the river.

"Are you crazy?!!" Gojyo yelled to Kazo's face. "What are you thinking? You want to commit suicide?" he scolded Kazo as he tightened his grip on Kazo's arm. Kazo flinched. He tried to strip himself off from Gojyo's grip but his tremendous effort was a waste. The red haired was too strong for him. "You'll freeze to death in there!" 

"Let me go!!!" Kazo screamed heartily. "LET ME GO!!!" the voice was drawn out from the top of his lungs. He struggled in order to free himself but Gojyo just held him even tighter. 

Gojyo didn't let go off his grip. He looked down to Kazo with sympathy. Goku joined them a little later. He was still astounded by Kazo's last attempt to get himself drown. Goku looked at Kazo with disbelief. 

"I just don't want to be alone" Kazo whined sadly. He had fallen down to his knees and kneeled in front of Gojyo. His arm was still in Gojyo's firm grip. Tears ran down on his cheeks. He knew he'd promised to Aiko that he'll never cry, but he couldn't keep the promise anymore. 

Gojyo sighed. He released his deadly grip on Kazo's arm. The arm fell down limply to its owner's side. Gojyo looked down to Kazo, the boy's head hung so low and locks of crimson red hair covered half of his dreary face. The boy sobbed and whined softly. Gojyo kneeled down in front of Kazo, so did Goku.

Gojyo patted Kazo's shoulder and Goku rubbed his back, trying to make him feel better. 

"You want to tell us what you have in mind?" Asked Gojyo with concern tone. For the first time since they met, Gojyo had talk to the child with a soothing voice. "We might not be a good advisor like Hakkai, but we are a good listener" exclaimed Gojyo as he sat cross-legged on the ground.

"Hai!" Goku nodded eagerly.

Kazo didn't lift his face as he opened his mouth to say something. "Aiko was the only family I had, if she were to die, I'll have no one else" Kazo sobbed as he uttered the words. His shoulder trembled vigorously as he tried to hold the tears from keep streaming down on his face. "I don't want to lose her…like I lost the others" Kazo shook his head and looked up to Gojyo and Goku.

"I don't want to lose her!!!!" Kazo burst out crying and clung to Gojyo's waist at sudden. Gojyo jerked slightly to the back as the boy fell onto his body but then he regained his balance. Kazo had sunk his face to Gojyo's chest as he threw his arms around Gojyo's waist. Gojyo could feel that the boy's arms hugged him tightly as he cried his heart out and soaked Gojyo's vest with his tears. "I don't want to lose her!!!" Kazo kept crying out loud. 

Gojyo felt his heart sunk when the wails had turned into long moans due to the mixed feeling of fear and sorrow in Kazo's mind and came down to his heart. Kazo's body shook tremendously as the he tried to hold the tears and the cries. Gojyo closed his eyes, trying to avoid his own tears from falling down. The way that kid wailed made him felt sad. Goku on the other hand, patted Kazo's back to shoo the fear away when all the while he himself was crying. Gojyo enveloped Kazo in his embrace and made a hushing sound.

"You are never alone and never will be" Gojyo said soothingly. He brushed Kazo's hair affectionately. "Your sister will be fine, Hakkai was treating her" Gojyo tried to remind the wailing boy. 

"Hakkai will never let her die and you know that" Gojyo looked down to Kazo's head. The boy was still sobbing. "You must trust in him just as the way you trusted in Aiko" Gojyo continued. He knew he was not good in sweet talks but he wanted to try. "She never let you down before, how come she'll let you down now?" Gojyo's last statement made the tremble in the kid's body slowed and finally ceased. 

Kazo looked up to Gojyo. There were still thin lines of tears trickling down his face. "Honto ni?" he asked as he brushed the tears away with the back of his palm. Gojyo nodded. There was a smile forming on Kazo's lips as he sunk his face back to Gojyo's chest. Suddenly he jerked backward and stabbed Gojyo's waist with his fist, softly. "I don't want to cry on any kappa's body" he said with a sneer.

"NANI?!" Gojyo's eyes flared with rage as he heard the latter's exclamation. "Teme…!!!" he yelled out loud as he bobbed the gaki's head with his fist. If he knew what the consequences of cheering the boy up from the first place, he would never waste his time consoling the boy.

"Ittai…." Kazo clutched his head in agony. 

Gojyo looked at Goku. "And why were you crying? Are you hungry baka saru?" he teased his saru. 

Goku pouted. "Don't call me saru kono ero gokiburi!!!!" Goku's temper went short by Gojyo calling him saru. He leaped to the front and tugged at Gojyo's hair. Gojyo cried in pain. Kazo joined the fight as he jumped and landed on the red haired head. He beat the kappa's head as if it's a drum. But then, he drew his mouth closer to Gojyo's left ear as the latter tried really hard to shove Goku away. 

"Arigatou na Gojyo?" A voice from behind his ears penetrated into his earlobe. Gojyo smiled quietly but then he was back to his task, shoving the kids away from causing more damage to his body.

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Sanzo leaned himself against the decaying wall of the hut. The noise that came from inside the hut had finally ceased. The moans of the injured one had turned into a sigh of relief from the caretaker. Sanzo sighed. 'Hakkai had ceased her pain somehow'. 

"Reika…?" Sanzo puffed out smoke from his lungs. He threw the cigarette butt onto the ground. That was his third. He looked up and gazed upon the shining stars up away on the night sky. 

_"Honto ni?" Reika asked him bewilderedly. Her mouth gaped at him with amazement. Then she turned back her gaze upon the sky, adoring the bright shining stars that were twinkling far above their heads. "The stars were the soul of our dead loved ones?" she asked as her eyes drooled, searching for the brightest star ever._

_"Hai!" He answered as he joined the little girl watching over the stars. "Oshio-sama told me that when I was three" he explained. He pointed out to the sky; to a star that shone so bright that it emerged magnificently among the rest. _

_"Sugee!!" Reika cheered merrily. Suddenly she turned quiet and looked at him solemnly. "Do you think our parents were stars too?" she asked with a saddened tone. _

_"Perhaps" he answered, not knowing the answers. He felt his heart had tore into pieces when the little girl sitting beside him looked down to her feet and sighed. "You know what…? Those stars over there is your parents and mine were over there" he pointed up to two pairs of stars that shone brightly, close to each other._

_Reika looked up and that sweet smile returned to her lips. She turned to him and punched him on the face. The punch was so soft that he didn't feel any pain. "Koryuu-nii-chan, I don't need to look at the stars to know that someone I loved is looking over me" she said as she stared at him with her sapphire blue eyes twinkling just like the stars above._

_"Nani?" he stood dumbfounded, not able to figure out the meaning behind the words._

_"I knew my loved one is looking over me as long as you are here with me" she said in glee. "You are my o-nii-chan" Reika threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tight. Lastly, she presented him the real reward, a peck on the cheek. _

_He smiled as he returned the hug and patted the little girl's head._

_"I loved you o-nii-chan" she whispered to his ears. "If I die, I prayed hard that I'll be your real sister in my next life"_

_"We'll be brother and sister forever" he said as he released her from his embrace. _

_"Promise?" the little girl asked. He nodded. "Let's swear with our pinkies" she said as she held out her right pinkie. He smiled and gripped her pinkie with his own. They locked their pinkies together and shook it once. They looked at each other's face and laughed gaily.   _

Sanzo grunted. He stared once again to the stars. At sudden the image of him as little Koryuu pointing a finger to a star with Reika beside him emerged in his mind. "Ch!"

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Aiko snapped her eyes opened and glanced around. She was in a strange place, which she had never remembered settling in it before. She tried to figure out what had happened before and when she remembered it all out, Aiko let out a deep breath. Looked like she had escaped from a close call of death. 

Aiko tried to move her hands but then her right hand was locked in a tight grip of someone else's. She moved her head to the right and found someone sleeping by her side. His head was laid on her arm and the man held her hand so tight that she could not move a finger. The dark haired man looked all weary and worn out. Aiko smiled.

'Hakkai…'. She reached out her left hand and put it on her caretaker's head. She ran her fingers through the soft dark hair of that man beside her. 'Guess I owed him my life'. She smiled as her fingers moved on Hakkai's face, brushing the dark locks that were covering his right eye, which he had a monocle on. 

Aiko strived to sit upright. Her movement caused Hakkai to jerk awake and stared at Aiko with eyes wide opened. At instant, he lent Aiko a helping hand while he's still holding her right hand in his own. Aiko looked at her with a feeble smile that still looked so sweet. She leaned herself against the wall and stared at Hakkai. The smile didn't fade a bit. 

"Gomen nasai" Hakkai apologized as he realized that he still held the girl's hand in his grip. Immediately, he released the hand and chuckled edgily. Aiko giggled slightly.

"It's okay" Aiko reassured the man. "You look tired Hakkai, do you spent all of your energy on me?" she asked worriedly. 

"Iya..!" Hakkai denied with a melodious tone alongside a nervous smile. But then, he stood silent and hung his head low. There's something in his heart that is so eager to come out yet he didn't have the courage to voice it out loud. Hakkai might have been a great fighter in every battles of their journey to the west but he wasn't so good at showing his feelings. "Aiko… I need to tell you something" he started to evoke a conversation. He thought this is his only chance to tell her how he really felt.

"Sure…I'm listening" Aiko replied as she looked at him soothingly. Hakkai felt his heart beat so fast and so harsh that he could hear his own heartbeats from outside. His blood seemed to rush to his face, making his face flushed red. He was about to open his mouth when the door was jerked opened, revealing the three figures that stood before it.  

Hakkai slapped his head. 'There goes his only chance' 

"Aiko!!" Goku and Kazo yelped happily at the sight of smiling Aiko, safe and sound. Aiko smiled, seeing the most loveable kids she ever knew. She spread her arms wide as the kids sprinted toward her and lurched into her arms. The boys hugged her tightly as if they had seen her woke up from death. 

"I thought you're gonna leave me alone" Kazo muttered, trying to hold back the tears. 

"Don't you ever scared us like that again" Goku continued with a dreary look on his face.

Aiko hugged the boys and gave each of them a peck on the cheek. She ruffled the boys' hair as the latter giggled happily. 

"We caught some fish at the river, we'll cook it for you" said Goku as he held out a string of fresh caught fish. "We'll cook it well until you dreamed of it in your sleep" Kazo looked up to Aiko. 

"Okay" Aiko agreed. "I'm starving already" she chirped merrily. The boys jumped out from the bed and headed toward the fireplace. They began to cook with joy. 

Gojyo walked nearer to the bed. "I'm glad you're okay Aiko" he said, looking down at Aiko. The girl still looked a little weak, but she seemed to be okay. Aiko smiled at that statement. "It took me about half an hour to make Kazo stopped worrying about you" he exclaimed.

"Arigatou Gojyo" Aiko bowed her head slightly. She looked at Kazo and Goku, and Gojyo took that chance to slow talked with Hakkai. He put his hand on Hakkai's shoulder and looked at his companion. Hakkai looked up to him as he raised his eyebrows. The emerald-eyed man turned his gaze away from him and stared at the ground. Hakkai shook his head, making him sighed disappointedly. "Daijoubu ka Gojyo? You got quite a blow from Xiang last time" Aiko looked back to the red haired man.

Gojyo startled. "Daijoubu da" he answered after a moment of total blankness. He looked at the pair stood by the fireplace. 'Those gakis were doing it all wrong'. "I guess I better help them with the cooking or they'll burn the fish to ashes" Gojyo walked toward Goku and Kazo.

Aiko and Hakkai smiled as they looked at the trio. Now, they were not cooking, instead they are fighting over the biggest fish they had caught. Aiko looked at the chuckling Hakkai and smiled. "Hakkai, I believed you got something to tell me?" she asked.

Hakkai stammered. He giggled and shook his head nervously. "Yare…yare…I forgot" he said. Aiko sweat dropped at that answer. "Where's Sanzo?" as soon as Hakkai said that Sanzo entered the hut. 

Sanzo halted at the door and stared at Aiko. He looked at Hakkai. The latter just gave him a smile. Sanzo grunted. Seemed like Hakkai had failed in his attempt. Sanzo turned back to the girl, now smiling at him.

"You got a lot of explanation to do" Sanzo warned the girl as he walked toward the chair at the corner of the hut. He had a lot to ask the girl right now, but he had to wait until tomorrow. He had to wait for the girl to be fully recovered and healed. Aiko gulped. She could not run anymore. 

"Don't worry, he's not going to eat you" Hakkai reassured the girl as he sensed the look of fear on Aiko's face. Aiko smiled faintly. She stared at Hakkai and then gazed at Sanzo.

Sanzo and Hakkai, two men with two personalities. The other wanted to tell her something and the other one wanted her to tell him something. Each one of them was now making her felt restless. Now she wished she could swim into the of the men's heart and revealed the secret beyond it.

Aiko sighed heavily.

To be continue….

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Ayie: Thanks for those who read my fic and reviewed it…and also for those who read without reviewing it…any of those really helped ^__^.

Sanzo-ikkou and OCs: Thank you….Arigatou minna-san


	16. The Confessions

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Saiyuki characters. They honorably belong to Minekura Sensei. Please don't sue me.

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Ayie: Arigatou minna-san, for keeping up with this fic. For GS-san, actually the idea just popped out while I'm typing…it's spontaneous ^__^. Aiko was indeed lucky… please keep on your good work with "Holding the Blue Moon". Gee…now is the chap where Hakkai confessing to Aiko about his feelings…can you imagine how it would be like for Hakkai to confess his feeling when all the while he just hid it behind his smile?

Hakkai: Yameru kudasai ayie-san Face so red that it matched the color of Gojyo's hair

Gojyo: Yada…yada, ayie I hope you'll make me as lucky as Hakkai in your next fic…

Ayie: Ekk?… I'll try…but not so soon. looked around Eh! Where's Sanzo and Goku?

Aiko: You asked them to surf the Internet to find the lyrics for some songs… Ayie: slapped forehead Hai hai! I forgot…

From the family room, Sanzo: Oi saru! Who asked you to surf the food website whacked Goku's head Goku: clutched head Harahetta yo Sanzo….

All: sweat dropped

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**Chapter 16 – The Confessions**

The first ray of light glowed and enlightened the earth. It was followed by the great orange orb emerging from the east and hovered the fertile land beneath it with magnificent color of red and orange. The morning breeze sent the chill down to the girl's spine. Aiko enveloped her body in her arms. She gazed at the river down at her feet and turned around to look at the hut. 

There is no sign of any movements from the beings inside. When she left the hut earlier at dawn, none of the bishounens had wake up from their sleep. She just left them like that, not wanting to disturb their peaceful sleep, a real rest they had had since the last encounter with Xiang. Aiko sighed and glanced back to the river. 

Aiko's hand wandered around her left shoulder. Hakkai had put her dislocated join into the right place. She didn't even remembered when Hakkai did that but she knew well the dark haired man spent his energy to the last to heal her. Hakkai had stayed by her bedside for the entire night and only fell asleep when it's almost dawn. She tried really hard to get off the bed and at the same time preventing her movements from disturbing the man's sleep. Any slight mistake would cause Hakkai to jerk awake.

 Aiko let her feet dragged her to the riverbank. Her mind flowed fluently, just like the current of the river. But then she scratched her head with annoyance. Since dawn, she had been thinking of the thing that Hakkai wanted to tell her last night. She could not figure out what does Hakkai had in mind. And Sanzo… Gosh! That man is making her even crazier. Her mind tangled with confusion. Aiko shook her head, shoving the confusion away.

"Reika…" a voice popped out from nowhere. The word struck to her ears like thunder from a stormy season. Aiko turned around immediately and stumbled head over heels once she found the source of the voice. 

"Are you trying to give me a heart attack?!!" Aiko asked as she looked up to the monk with eyes wide opened. She rose up to her feet and brushed the dust on her outfit. Aiko stared at Sanzo, who stood silently in front of her. Aiko stammered, the look on that monk's face was different from she had ever seen before. Sanzo looked a little bit disturbed. Aiko was stunned as she recalled what the monk had uttered right before she turned around to look at him. "Why you called me that?"

"Are you really Reika?" Sanzo asked, fixing his gaze upon Aiko's face. 

"Why do you want to know?" Aiko snapped back. 

"She's my sister" Sanzo said calmly. The answer made Aiko astounded and gasped for air. She turned her back to Sanzo and looked down to her feet. 

"You are not him aren't you?" Aiko asked with a very low voice. It almost sounded that she's sobbing. "Tell me you are not Koryuu" she almost pled. Now, her shoulder trembled slightly and she hung head so low that her face almost touched her chest. 

"I was once" Sanzo stepped closer to Aiko. Now he's standing right behind her. "Now, you tell me…are you Reika?" Sanzo repeated his question as he put a hand on the girl's shoulder. He knew what the answer would be but he wanted to hear it from her mouth. 

Suddenly, Aiko turned around and punched the monk right on the face. The punch was so soft that Sanzo didn't feel even the slightest pain. The punch brought him back to his past. Reika always punched him on his face. It seemed to be her mark and Sanzo knew too well that the punch he received just now would only belonged to Reika. Sanzo looked up to Aiko, the girl is smiling at him. Now he remembered why the smile seemed so familiar, it's the same sweet smile of Reika, which he longed so much for so long. 

Aiko sunk his face to Sanzo's chest. "I thought you were dead" she whispered from the bottom of her voice. "A month after I settled with the family who had adopted me from the orphanage, I heard that Oshio-sama was slaughtered to death by a youkai who wanted to steal his sutra" Aiko is sobbing beneath his face. 

Sanzo stood listening. 

"I asked them about you… but they said they never heard of a boy named Koryuu being mentioned in Chang-an Temple" Aiko explained. "So, I assumed that you had died during the assault" Aiko clung to the monk's robe. Sanzo stayed silent. 

"Now I finally met you…but I didn't hope it would be this way" Aiko's sob continued.

"We swore to be brother and sister forever and I guess destiny brought us back together" Sanzo whispered as he held Aiko's trembling shoulder. Now he had found what he had been searching for. 

Aiko flung her arms around Sanzo's neck, causing the blonde man to jerk slightly to the back at the sudden impact on his body. She hugged him tightly. Sanzo sighed with relief. He returned that hug by cuddling her lovingly, as a brother would hug a sister. Aiko set herself free from his embrace a little while later. 

Aiko looked at Sanzo. The monk's face looked so soft and soothed. "I guess I'll never see this calm face if I'm not Reika ne Sanzo?" she asked with a sneer. Sanzo grunted and yanked himself away from Aiko. 

"Ch! Omae wo baka" He muttered beneath his breath. Aiko giggled. "Reika or not Reika, you still got a lot of explanation to do" Sanzo turned around and headed back to the hut. Aiko chuckled edgily. She brushed the back of her head with one hand as she watched Sanzo retreated to the hut.

"Should I call you Sanzo or should I call you Sanzo-nii-chan?" Aiko yelled from behind him. Sanzo turned around and flung his harisen toward the onna. It hit her right on the face. Aiko yelped in agony. Sanzo smirked upon his triumph. But deep inside, he was relief that Reika he once knew was still the same even though she bore a different name. 

"Ittai…" Aiko rubbed her face as she cursed slightly in between her breath. 'Namaguza bouzu, baka Sanzo-nii-chan'. But then her lips curled in joy. She had found the first person on earth she ever called family, the person who taught her how to love and to be loved. It's the person she treasured so much that she's willing to die for him. 

Sanzo turned around and proceeded toward the hut. "You still want to stay here?" he asked without turning to look at Aiko. 

"Hai!" Aiko answered merrily. "I want to get some fresh air" 

"Ch!" Sanzo grunted as he walked away, toward the direction of the hut. "Hurry up with whatever you're doing, we'll be leaving here soon" he told her as he lit a cigarette and put it in between his lips. 

"Oki Sanzo-nii-chan!" Aiko jested the man. Sanzo grunted as a vein popped out on his forehead. He quickened his pace toward the hut in the middle of the woods. Aiko gazed at the monk as the latter disappeared into the woods. Aiko turned around. Now, her tangling mind has loosened a little bit. But Aiko had some questions hovering her mind as soon as the wonders faded away. 'Why Koryuu-nii-chan changed his name to Genjo Sanzo? Why he's heading to the West? Why he never came and looked for her?'

"K'so" Aiko guessed that's the very same question she has to answer later on their journey to Baron's mansion. "I'm dead" she muttered.

****************************

"Ohaiyo Aiko!" Aiko stammered at another voice that appeared from behind her ears. Aiko sweat dropped as Hakkai appeared next to her. She didn't even realized when that man came to that place. The emerald-eyed man bent down to the riverbank and scooped out the water with a bucket. "You wake up so early, you should really rest you know?" Hakkai added without even looking up to his subject.

 "Ohaiyo gozaimasu and gomen for not resting" Aiko apologized as she bowed slightly. Hakkai rose up and chuckled edgily. Aiko smiled. "I just need to get some fresh air" she explained, trying to prevent herself from being scolded by the 'doctor'.

"You better go back into the hut or you will catch a cold" Hakkai advised as he looked at Aiko's face. 'Should I tell her now?' Hakkai shook the thought away. How could he imagine such thing? How can he end up with Aiko? The girl barely knew him and far from knowing his terrible past. Hakkai smiled. 

"Hakkai…" Aiko looked down to the ground and then turned her gaze toward the river. She sighed as she stood listening to the sound of the river current. Then, she turned and faced Hakkai. Aiko lifted her face and looked straight into Hakkai's eyes. 

Hakkai stood dumbfounded and stared at Aiko's face with wonders. "Nanda?" Hakkai asked and then he waited for the answer patiently.

"Gomen" Aiko smiled as she retreated her gaze away from Hakkai's face. However, after a while she looked up again to Hakkai and say "What is it that you were trying to tell me last night ne Hakkai?" She wanted to know the answer for all the questions that hovered her mind at once.

Hakkai sweat dropped and ended chuckling nervously. Now he could not run anymore. "Ano…" Hakkai stuttered as he tried to explain the answer and at the same time spitting out all that he had kept in his heart. "Aiko, I don't know how to tell you this…" Hakkai stopped again, leaving the sentence hanging in the middle and leaving Aiko to get more restless.

"Let's sit down… then may be you'll find the right words to spit it all out?" Aiko suggested as she grabbed Hakkai's arm and dragged him to sit down with her by the riverbank. Hakkai stared bewilderedly at the girl's sudden act but he didn't hesitate to settle himself next to Aiko. 

"Hakkai…" Aiko whispered as she sunk her feet into the river. She swayed it around and let the coldness of the water absorbed right through the flesh in her feet, sending the chill down to her spine. She chuckled slightly as the coldness seemed to be tickling her. Hakkai watched the girl in action. The serene look that fell upon the girl's face made his lips curled without him noticing it. "Sankyu na… for saving me and for staying beside me all night" Aiko fixed her eyes into the crystal clear water. 

Hakkai was snapped back into reality. He chuckled nervously. Lucky for him Aiko didn't realize that he was staring at her when she's not looking. "Iya! It's nothing!" He declined the appreciation. He didn't need any appreciation from the girl, he just did what he thought was his responsible. Hakkai had promised himself that the girl's safety would be his responsibility since the first time they met. He didn't know why, may be it's his nature or may be it's because the feeling he had upon that girl.

Hakkai sighed. Better end this for once and for all. He couldn't bear it any longer. Whatever the consequences might be after he spat out his feeling toward her, he will accept it. It's better to get hurt if she ever declined his feeling than keeping it all up in his heart. "Aiko…" Hakkai stared into the water. 

"I know it's too drastic and it's too early since we didn't know each other quite well yet…but I can't help myself from falling into you" Hakkai finally spat it all out. Only then, he felt a sudden relief emerged in his heart. Now, he's waiting for the girl's respond and god… his heart pounded so hard that it felt like it could burst at anytime. "Gomen…" Hakkai managed to utter the last word he could think of. 

No sound appeared from the girl next to him. Aiko didn't even moved a bit. She seemed to drop down dead to hear Hakkai's confession. Hakkai sighed. He already got the respond from his sincere confession from the girl's silence. He chuckled, more to comfort himself. "Sumimasen… I was not supposed to say that in a time like this" Hakkai apologized. He pushed himself up and stood watching the sky up above. It's not going to rain today but he indeed felt a little downcast… no, make it despaired. "Please forget what I've just said" Well, he could never forget that anyhow. Hakkai turned around and headed for the hut. 

"Hakkai…" the calm voice of the girl he'd just confessed his feeling to put Hakkai in a halt. He turned his gaze and stood waiting for the girl's word. Aiko is standing up on her feet. Her head hung so low that it's impossible for Hakkai to see her face. Aiko walked toward him with a slow but steady gait. She walked gracefully and her hair swayed aimlessly when the morning breeze blew upon them.

The girl halted right in front of him. Surprisingly, she opened her arms and hugged Hakkai tightly. Hakkai was astounded and almost stumble on the ground as the impact hit him at sudden that he didn't have the time to balance himself. The bucket of water that he held in his hand fell tremendously on the ground. But then Hakkai smiled. He had guessed it wrong. Without him noticing it, Hakkai's arms had already enveloped the girl's trembling body. He sunk his face into Aiko's soft hair and smiled quietly. It smelled so good.

"How dare you confessed that you love me and walked away from me without hearing my answer?" Aiko whispered at his ear. "You reminded me of my dead fiancée, yes it was right but that's not the reason why I liked you" she added as her grip on the emerald-eyed man's waist got even firmer. 

Hakkai smiled. Then, we're even. Each of us reminded each other of the people we once loved and that wouldn't be a problem since we loved each other for who and what we are. Hakkai remembered something and yanked himself away from Aiko's tight grip. 

"Hakkai?" Aiko looked at Hakkai with confuse. She didn't understand it. A moment earlier, Hakkai confessed to her that he love her and right now Hakkai seemed to try to get away from her. 'Men are so annoying!'

"I can't…" Hakkai almost chocked down with the word. "I mean I loved you… but I can't" he said with a trembling voice. He backed away a few steps. "You don't know the real me" Hakkai explained briefly. She would never accept him when she knew his past and the sin he had committed. It's impossible that a human girl such as Aiko would love a youkai and a sinner like him. Hakkai shook his head. The world is taking the girl he loved away from him, again!

Hakkai fell down to his knees. He wept at sudden. The feeling that is hovering his mind and haunting his heart right now was equal to the one he felt when Kannan slaughtered herself to death right in front of his eyes. Hakkai hugged his stomach and bent down with sorrow. 

Aiko fell disheartened at that sight. She kneeled down in front of Hakkai and put a comforting hand onto the man's head. "To know that you once committed a sin, to know that you are a human who had turned into a youkai after bathing in the blood of a thousand youkais that you had killed, to know that you had lost the one you loved…" Hakkai startled to hear the statement from the girl's mouth. He looked up and found Aiko's staring down at him with a soothing look. Aiko caressed Hakkai's head and dragged it to her shoulder. 

 "You don't have to tell me that because I already knew about it and trust me… I've being through the same thing" she reassured. She made a hushing sound as she brushed the hair of the man in her arms. "None of us were guilty even if the world said the opposite" 

"Nani?" Hakkai released himself from Aiko's embrace and stared at the latter's face, looking for answers. He felt like he had lived once again. Aiko just smiled and Hakkai couldn't help it than to returned it with another smile. 

"I told Meili that she'd fought a dead girl but the girl is not Aiko, it's Reika" Aiko said. "So was Cho Gonou, he was no more and the one in front of me right now is Cho Hakkai" her exclamation left the man to smiled lively. "And Cho Hakkai was just the man that I loved"

Hakkai held Aiko on her shoulder and pulled her to stand up with him. "If that so… then Cho Hakkai is who I am" Hakkai said as he smiled. 

Aiko landed a soft punch on that man's shoulder. "That's the spirit… and Hakkai, thanks" Once again she thanked him but this time for no reason. Hakkai's lips curled slightly.

"No need to thank me… I saved your life because I don't want to lose you" Hakkai explained as he giggled in glee. He was quite embarrassed to be thanked over and over for a thing he did nothing much. 

"It's not that" Aiko shook her head. "It's for this" Aiko stood on her toes, pushed herself forward and then kissed Hakkai on his lips. Hakkai felt his body went stiffed from the surprise treat. She disengaged from him in a matter of a second and blushed severely. She walked passed Hakkai and headed toward the hut. Her pace was so fast and swift. "I see you in the hut" she called out.

Hakkai remained dumbfounded from the kiss he had just received. After a moment of total ecstasy, Hakkai finally regained consciousness. He turned around and smiled at seeing Aiko walked with merry steps to the hut. The girl looked like as if she was dancing to the rhythm of the nature. She seemed to blend with the nature around them and that's what Hakkai loved about her. 

At sudden, something occurred to his mind. Hakkai looked up and shouted "Aiko, who had told you about my past?" Aiko turned around and smiled, both arms behind her back. She didn't stop walking though. 

"Gojyo did" Aiko replied and turned to the hut abruptly.

************************ 

"Darn this girl" Gojyo slapped his head in disbelief at hearing Aiko's reply to Hakkai. "She doesn't even know how to keep a secret" he sighed as he shook his head in annoyance.  

"Hakkai would surely got me dead for revealing his past to her" Gojyo leaned himself hard to the tree behind him. He was just trying to help and he just wanted his pal to get himself alive again… 'Have I left the part of telling her to not to reveal to Hakkai that I'm the one who told her about his past?'

"Gojyo!" a voice popped out from nowhere, making Gojyo stumbled head over heels. He sweat dropped as he found Hakkai staring down at his face with a devilish grin.

"What did you tell Aiko about me?" Hakkai asked as he grinned menacingly at Gojyo. Gojyo laughed timidly as Hakkai reached his hand to his back and pulled out something from there. In a nick of time, a brutal whack landed on his head.

"Ittai…" Gojyo could see stars twinkling above his head. He looked up to Hakkai. The dark haired man grinned happily as he held a harisen in his hand. "Oi! I don't know you had one of those?" he was quite astonished with the sight he's seeing right now. 'Hakkai with a harisen?'

"I borrowed this from Sanzo a moment ago… before he went back to the hut" explained Hakkai as he smiled cheekily. "I saved it to whack your head when it's the perfect time" Hakkai had realized from the beginning that Gojyo was tailing him right from the start. Guess the hanyou can never help not to interfere when it comes to romance. 

Hakkai looked around. "Goku, Kazo come out come out wherever you are" Hakkai sang out loud. He could sense the boys around the area. At instant Goku and Kazo climbed down a tree and walked toward Hakkai. Each of their faces flickered with guilt. "Minna-san, you know it's not nice to listen to someone else's conversation" Hakkai reminded the young ones and at the same time looked at the elder one from the corner of his eyes. 

"Gomen nasai" Goku and Kazo apologized with a low voice. Hakkai smiled and ruffled the boy's hair. 

"Boys! Breakfast is served" suddenly Aiko's voice penetrated the air, making the young ones dashed happily to the hut. Hakkai shook his head. 'I thought I already asked her to rest'. Hakkai glanced at Gojyo. The red haired already stood on his feet and walked surpassed him. By the time he walked passed Hakkai, the hanyou flung his arm around the dark haired shoulder and dragged the latter with him.

"You are so lucky loverboy" Gojyo smirked. Hakkai smiled. 'Thanks to you my friend'

The bishounens walked abreast toward the castle, with the kids up ahead, skipping with joy. Aiko was waiting at the entrance and Sanzo was leaning at the door. 

"Ma…ma…what a peaceful day" Hakkai chirped as he chukled merrily. 'Until we are on our way to the mansion of course…'

To be continue……

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Ayie: I knew the villains's names is quite hilarious…but it's not easy to think of weird names that sounded like Chinese or Japanese…^_^. Even I'm laughing when I read the names again and again…. 

Sanzo: Yupe! She's laughing not only because she found the names hilarious but also because she'd gone totally insane… 

Ayie: Urusai omae namaguza bouzu…slapped the back of Sanzo's head and received a whack on the head from Sanzo's harisen ittai….and uh gomen if you didn't found the scene of Hakkai confessing to Aiko is romantic…I'm not good in romance… ___

Gojyo: I can teach you anytime….

Ayie: chuckled nervously uh…. Sankyu…but I don't want… ^__^"


	17. The Haunting Past

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Saiyuki characters. They honorably belong to Minekura Sensei. Please don't sue me.

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Ayie: As usual… Arigatou for those who had read and reviewed. I really10 appreciated your reviews since it's encouraging me to keep on writing. For those who had read this story but did not review, I really hope that you'll review because I need readers' opinion sometimes so I'll know that I'm doing the right thing ^_^turned around and spotted Sanzo's trying to steal her pillow Oi kono namaguza bouzu! What are you doing?-__-+

Sanzo: You got four pillows already… I only got two…you better hand me that one or omae wo koruso…Whacked Ayie's head with the pillow

Gojyo: Oi oi! Kono baka onna and kono baka bouzu, can you see that the rest of us were trying to sleep here? Ayie and Sanzo: Nanda' to? Looked at Gojyo with menacing glare and suddenly hit him continuously with pillows

Hakkai: Actually we are trying to get Ayie to sleep early tonight…she was completely exhausted after striving to finish the last chap and a new fic 'Season in the Sun'…and doing all the cooking and the cleaning… but it looks like she's not going to sleep before it's dawn shook head and glanced at the pillow fight scene in front of him Goku: Chaaaarged…!!!! Dashed toward the trio with a pillow in hand

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**Chapter 17 – The Haunting Past **

Sanzo stared at the blazing fire right in front of him before turning his gaze to the girl sitting opposite to him. Aiko's face was a total blankness. She looked as if she had no emotions at all. The door creaked opened, making him glanced to the door. Hakkai entered the hut and walked toward the fireplace, joining them. He settled down next to Aiko and smiled when the girl looked at him. 

"They are having their bath… and knowing Goku, they'll be long" Hakkai reported as he was assigned to shoo Goku and Kazo off the hut. Aiko wanted neither Kazo nor Goku to listen to what she's going to say. 'The boys probably took hours playing in the river'. "I made Harkuryu and Nimmiku look after them…so they'll warn us if Goku and Kazo were finished" 

"Arigatou…" Aiko whispered as she fixed her sapphire blue eyes to the empty wall over Sanzo's head. "I guess I should go on with the narrating ne?" she tried to smile but her effort was futile. She sighed. She took a deep breath and began recounting her past. 

"After I left the orphanage… my foster family moved into another town, and that's when I heard the news of Oshio-sama's death" Aiko glanced at Sanzo. She tried to find the courage to keep talking. She locked her hands into one another and twisted it round and round. It was not easy to let something you've being striving to forget to come back all at once. Suddenly, a hand was reached out from beside her and gripped hers tightly. She turned to her side and found Hakkai smiling at her. Aiko found her courage in that smile. "I thought Koryuu-nii-chan was dead too and I didn't have the courage to go back to the temple to pay a last visit to his dead body" Aiko continued. "I never knew that you had change your name to Genjo Sanzo" she added after a little while later. Her fingers clung to Hakkai's. Her past is all coming back to her.

"Otosan was an ex-Marshal of the Tougenkyou Royal Army and he's a good fighter indeed" Aiko gulped down sobs as she mentioned the word 'father'. "He raised his children and at the same time taught them how to fight, I was not excluded" her faint voice was being swallowed by her sobs. "I learned martial arts together with my siblings and my fiancée since we were kids"

"Then, when I reached the age of twenty… I asked for my parents permission to go back to Chang-an Temple and pay a visit to your resting place" Aiko shook the tears away and held back the tremble in her body as she glanced at Sanzo. 

Sanzo sighed. 'Is it a mistake to announce that Koryuu was no more after the death of Oshio-sama?'. "They granted my wish as long as my fiancée kept me company, but we were not even halfway to our destination when we heard a rumor that a clan of youkai had attacked my village and took my sister away" Aiko shivered.

Hakkai tried to calm the girl by wrapping her shoulder with his protective arm. Now, he had a bigger responsibility upon Aiko. Hakkai looked at his other companions. They were listening attentively. He turned to look at Aiko and found out that the girl tried really hard to hold back her tears. Hakkai tightened his grip on that girl's shoulder.

"I went back to the village and found out that the youkais wanted to have me and my other three fighting partners to fight at their side" Aiko hung her head low. It was not easy but she had to finish it somehow. "Otosan refused and that caused the youkai to take us by force" she wiped away the first salty drop that ran down her cheek and struggled to avoid the rest. 

Gojyo looked at Aiko. He could not stand to watch a woman crying. The sight reminded him of his stepmother. 'She was always crying every time she saw me'. He sighed heavily. 

"Xiang was one of us before…before they turned him into a beast after one nasty experiment" Aiko gulped. She could picture the whole thing, the whole terrible thing. Leya, Xiang, Leon and she herself curled up in a tank fill with green liquids and youkais smiling at them every time they stirred restlessly. "After we were kidnapped from the village, the youkai made us undergo an experiment to turn us into beasts and Xiang was the first to complete the experiment while the three of us, me, Leya-nee-chan and Leon, my fiancée were still in phase one test" Her trembling hand wandered on her temple. 'They put that in my skull, in my head and it still lived and will never die' 

"You mean you're already went through that experiment?" asked Gojyo, astounded to hear the girl's statement. 

Aiko nodded weakly. She brushed a lock on her temple to the back and revealed a tiny scar that looked like a dot. "The phase one experiment was to give us extraordinary power and for me was my ki-energy, but this phase didn't turn us into complete beast" explained Aiko. "A chip was planted in my skull and the same happened to Leya-nee-chan and Leon, this scar was what was left" 

The bishounens spotted the scar and sighed. 'It must hurt like hell when they put that inside'

"Before they brought me and Leya-nee-chan for the last experiment, which will turn us into beast, our family came and rescued us…" Aiko burst out into tears, as she could not hold on it any longer. Hakkai caressed her shoulder softly. "My family once said that I am their greatest treasure and being that, they sacrifice their own life for me" Aiko sobbed. Her breath is getting shorter and faster. "Leya-nee-chan helped me and Leon to escape from the prison but she herself didn't manage to do so". The sight of Leya plucking out the red marble from her own skull haunted Aiko over and over. 

"My family left o-nee-chan like that so that they could protect me…but each one of them were slaughtered to death and my sister-in-law blew herself up to kill all the youkai" Her past which always came back to her in nightmares now is haunting her when she's awake. 

Aiko's last statement made the bishounens gaped at her with sympathy. 'This girl's past was even worst than ours'. "I went back to the youkai's den to rescue my o-nee-chan but once again o-nee-chan helped me to escape by making herself a life bait… once she realized that she could not escaped anymore, Leya committed suicide by plucking out the chip which was planted in the phase one experiment from her skull…" Aiko stopped. "You see…this chip that I have in my head must not be removed or I'll be dead" Hakkai gulped nervously. 'Sou ka… so she was carrying a time bomb in her head all this time'

"So Leon and I, together with Kazo ran away from the den but we met Xiang in the woods" Aiko continued. "Xiang was a complete beast by then and he tried to kill us, but having to deal with Leon, who was ten times stronger and faster than him, Xiang was defeated" She brought her knees to her chest and hugged them tightly. 

"Before he teleported away, Xiang managed to release a large ki-blast to Kazo and Leon, being the one near Kazo, lurched and stood in front of Kazo and received the blow" Aiko sighed. "He died soon after that since his inner organs were badly damaged from the blow" she finished her story except that it didn't end with a happy ending. Aiko sunk her face onto her knees and cried. She had to let it go. After Leon died, her tears had dried away. The sorrow was too great that crying didn't make her feel relief even a bit.

Hakkai's heart sunk at seeing the girl crying. He was going to cuddle her when Aiko lifted her face and smiled. The smile left the three guys completely puzzled. A moment ago she was downcast and drenched with tears and now she's completely jovial. Aiko swept away the tears from her face. "Ma…ma…what a beautiful sunny day" as soon as Aiko finished her words the door was pushed opened and the lively itan together with the young hanyou entered the hut merrily.

'That was close!' Gojyo sighed with relief. Luckily Aiko finished recounting her past right in time or the kids would surely heard everything. He glanced at Aiko. The girl is smiling again. And God he hated that smile much the same he hated the cries.

Sanzo stared at Aiko. It was obvious that she tried to hide her sorrow behind that sweet smile. Just like those years that they had shared together as young kids. Reika always hid her tears of sorrow and her cries of fear beneath her sweet smiles. Even Koryuu could never tell if Reika was either angry, or sad or happy. She always smiled as if nothing was bothering her. This girl Aiko is nothing different from Reika. They might bore dissimilar names but they were still the same person inside. "Ch!" Sanzo looked away. It was so annoying to look at the pretending face. 

Aiko looked at Hakkai, who was holding her in his arms and smiled nervously. "Hakkai…" she whispered as she turned her eyes away into the raging fire. Hakkai turned and looked at her. "Are you sure you want a murderer… a mutant to be your girl? I mean… I killed a lot of people and I was not a human anymore and not even youkai or heretic and far from megumi-sama" Aiko murmured softly as a faint curl appeared on her bruised lips. 

Gojyo managed to hear that remark and he replied it by throwing a tiny stone to the girl's head. The latter cried with pain as the stone hit her right on her temple. She rubbed the sore spot and sent Gojyo a raging glare that said 'I'm going to kill you'. 

"Don't say it and hope that we'll feel sorry for you" that word didn't came out from his mouth. Gojyo scanned his companions and found the one who said the words that he had in his mind a moment ago. He sighed as he found that the claimer was no one else except the corrupt monk.  

"Oi namaguza-bouzu, I was going to say that first" Gojyo yelled to Sanzo's face. 

"Nanda'to?" Sanzo's vein popped out at instance at hearing the word namaguza. He took out his shoureijuu and fired twice over Gojyo's head. Gojyo sweat dropped and smiled frightenedly. He slammed himself to the wall behind him, next to the holes made by Sanzo's bullets. 

Aiko and Hakkai sweat dropped. Sanzo's still firing out his bullets to the last, except now the target was on Goku and Kazo who were running around in the hut, chasing each other. The boys dodged the bullets and ran out off the hut.  

"Ma…ma…Sanzo-nii-chan…" and Aiko bit her tongue for the slip. Now, she's going to get the price for her clumsiness. She grinned childishly, trying to be innocent as Sanzo glared at her with a menace look. 

"And you… don't call me Sanzo-nii-chan!!!" the gun blasted and sent the bullet dashing into the direction of Aiko's head. The bullet missed it target by purpose and passed Aiko's cheek with several inches at distance. Aiko yelped and spontaneously hugged the man next to her. Lucky for her she turned to the right side. If she somehow turned to the other side she would have hugged the kappa instead of Hakkai.

"Ek! Gomen nasai" Aiko yanked herself away and blushed. Hakkai brushed the back of his head and laughed slightly.

"Chit..! This couple is making me crazy" Gojyo slapped his forehead in disbelief as he witnessed the event happening before his two eyes. "How often would you meet a couple who would apologized to each other as they kissed and hugged… you wackos were one of those species" 

"Nanda'to?" Aiko asked, perplexed with the kappa's exclamation. She turned around to Sanzo and asked him "Can you lend me your harisen?" with one hand reached out to Sanzo's face.

"My pleasure" Sanzo took out his harisen and gave it to Aiko. Aiko snatched the harisen from Sanzo's hand and whacked Gojyo's head once and later turned abruptly to Sanzo and presented him the second whack. Hakkai stumbled head over heels at that sight. Gojyo and Sanzo stood astounded and gawked at her bewilderedly. 

"That's for shooting at me and talking bad about me" Aiko tossed the harisen to the floor and dashed hastily to the door. Once she reached the door, Aiko stuck out her tongue toward the groaning bishounens. "Served you right!" she exclaimed before she disappeared from behind the door. 

"Ano baka" Gojyo grumbled as he clutched his head in one arm. He looked at the monk. It was once in blue moon to see Sanzo rubbed his head after receiving brutal whack like that. "Sanzo-sama… how did you feel after being whacked by a girl?" Gojyo teased the mentioned man.

Sanzo's ears reddened at that remark. He had three strong reasons for that. First he hated being called Sanzo-sama, secondly he's not fond of being whacked by another people, especially if that particular people is a girl, and lastly, it irritated him when Gojyo was the one who brought it all in the open. 

"Shi---ne!!!!" Sanzo yelled as he lurched furiously toward Gojyo. 

"Yada…yada…what a peaceful day" Hakkai chirped merrily.

Sanzo and Gojyo turned abruptly to Hakkai. "Yameru Hakkai!!!" they warned him and at the same time struggling to punch each other's faces.

Hakkai chuckled edgily. He sneaked out of the fighting scene and dashed out of the hut at instant when he reached the door. Better to prevent than to cure. It was a disaster if the two started fighting and Hakkai didn't want to stay in the middle of it. 

******************************* 

Hakkai shut the door behind him and walked toward Aiko, who's leaning against jippu. She was busy attending to Nimmiku, who seemed to miss hanging around with her master. Nimmiku cooed softly as she nuzzled Aiko's neck with affection. Aiko returned the little dragon's favor by caressing the latter's head. 

"Will they be long?" Aiko asked Hakkai as she rubbed Nimmiku's neck lovingly. 

Hakkai glanced back to the hut. He could hear shouts and gunfire. The shouts were no doubt belonged to Gojyo and the latter would only belong to Sanzo's shoureijuu. "Iya… they'll be out soon" Hakkai replied calmly. "Aiko…" he looked at the girl.

Aiko looked up and smiled. "Nanda?" 

"Tell me… Sanzo… when you knew him as Koryuu, was he ever the same like he was now?" Hakkai can't help wondering. It would be nice to know if the monk actually had a softer side when he was little.

Aiko chuckled. "Koryuu… he was no different from Sanzo, except that he didn't have any harisen or a shoureijuu at that time" Aiko answered. Hakkai giggled nervously. "But… Sanzo was different from Koryuu… back at those time Koryuu would never fight back if any kids teased him… now… you knew it better" Aiko added. 

"I guess I did ne?" Hakkai laughed slightly. Then, he remembered something. "You said Xiang was one of your fighting partners back at Tougenkyou… was his power equaled to yours?" He needed confirmation. The last encounter with Xiang proved to him that their next duel with that white-haired man is going to be one hell of a fight. 

"The four of us had different strengths, with Leon on the top, Xiang the second and o-nee-chan and I were the last" Aiko answered. "The only one who would win over Xiang was Leon" Aiko knew her chance of winning over Xiang in their next duel was quite small. She sighed disappointedly. It was not in her favor of fighting the love of her sister's life. 

Hakkai wrapped one arm around Aiko's waist. "Daijoubou da yo…I'll be by your side" Hakkai reassured as he could sense the fear in his girl's heart. Aiko turned to him and smiled. 

"Kyuu?" Nimmiku cooed with a baffled tone. Aiko and Hakkai chuckled nervously. As soon as they disengaged from each other's arms, Goku and Kazo appeared from the woods. Each of their cradles was filled with fruits and berries. 

"That's a real reward you got there Goku, Kazo" Aiko praised the boys as she noticed their enormous offering. The younger ones smiled proudly at her approval. 

"Hai! That will give us enough food supply until we reached the mansion" Hakkai approved the job well done from the boys.

Goku sunk his teeth into a fleshy and juicy looking peach and bit it greedily. He munched the peach and said "Hakkai… I'm right am I? I asked you to do the right thing didn't I?" he asked, sending a bit of the peach flesh to splattered all around his chubby cheeks. 

"Goku, don't talk with your food in your mouth" Aiko warned as she put the boys' offerings inside a bag. 

Goku gulped down the half munched substance in his mouth and looked at Hakkai. Hakkai was confused. "Which thing ne Goku?" he asked. 

"You know… you should kiss Aiko in order to save her…? The legend said so" Goku continued as he took another bite from the peach. The tender and crispy flesh of the peach really turned on his appetite. "You kissed Aiko and she was fine" 

Hakkai and Aiko sweat dropped. They could feel their blood steamed and the steams were reaching their faces and flushed it red. "Who told you I kissed Aiko?" Hakkai finally had the gut to say something.

"Gojyo did!" Goku and Kazo said altogether. 

Hakkai slapped his forehead with disbelief. 'He did it again'

"Ugrh…!" Aiko grunted as her head blew off steam. "I'm going to kill that man… I am!" she marched grumpily toward the hut but Hakkai caught her on her waist and lifted her until her feet separated from the ground. She struggled to move and flailed her arms and feet frantically. Aiko seemed to fly in Hakkai's hold. 

"Let me go! Let me go!" Aiko yelled as she tried to reach the door of the hut with her outstretched arms. Goku and Kazo stared at her with surprise and exchanged glances.

"Adult can be weird sometimes" Goku exclaimed. Kazo nodded approvingly. 

The emerald-eyed man made Aiko sit in jippu. "Please stay here…" Hakkai smiled. Aiko grumbled. She folded her arms across her chest and stay put. Her face was bitter. Hakkai laughed merrily. 'She's definitely different from Kannan' and knowing that Hakkai was rather happy. At least he knew Aiko could look after herself.

Nimmiku hovered Aiko's head and perched on her slender shoulder. The she-dragon cooed soothingly, trying to cool off her master. Nimmiku snuggled Aiko's face and licked her cheek continuously. Aiko chuckled with delight as the latter's act tickled her. At last the steam on her head vanished and her reddened face turned soothe. Hakkai smiled. 

Goku and Kazo hopped into the jeep and cuddled Aiko's neck from the back. The trio laughed merrily as Hakkai smiled with satisfaction. 'What could he ask for more?'

The door of the hut was pulled opened as Sanzo stepped out of the hut with Gojyo tailing behind him. Both of the bishounens walked toward the jeep. No words uttered from any of them. The brunettes and the gakis fell silent at instant. They stared at Sanzo and Gojyo with amaze. 

Aiko giggled and at sudden clamped her mouth shut as Sanzo looked up and sent her a death-promising glare. She avoided her gaze from the monk's glare and looked at Gojyo. Then, she started to giggle again. Bruises and bumps were everywhere on the red haired face. And that's why Aiko cannot help herself from not giggling or chuckling like crazy. She could probably hold back her laugh if it was Gojyo alone but on the other hand, Sanzo also suffered the same bruises and bumps. Well, that was courtesy of their childish behaviors. 

"Ikkuzo!!" Sanzo ordered as he walked grumpily toward jippu. Gojyo on the other hand, hopped into the backseat and settled himself behind Hakkai's seat. Aiko climbed up to the backseat and gave way to Sanzo. She sat behind Sanzo, trying to prevent the monk from doing any possible damage to the passengers in the backseat. 

"Hai hai!" Hakkai settled himself behind the steering wheel. He switched on the ignition switch and the engine roared at instant. Hakkai patted the steering wheel affectionately and said "Ikkuzo Harkuryu… we don't want to make Dai waiting". 

"Kyu…kyu!" Harkuryu cooed and the jeep sled smoothly through the wood, in the direction of the mansion. The passengers on board, high-spirited and highly-motivated, were ready for any possibilities in what was waiting at the end of their journey.

To be continue………..

************************* 

Ayie: Huargh…! yawned and fell asleep at sudden

Hakkai: glanced at sleeping Ayie, Sanzo, Goku and Kazo phew..! They're asleep at last. I would like to apologized on ayie's behalf for the delay… she's having writer's block recently. Furthermore, she was thinking about the next chaps, which are fighting chaps, which she found it quite difficult.

Aiko: Yupe! Poor Ayie… having writer's block and all… and oh! Azzie-san, please don't make yourself crazy by thinking what gender ayie is… Ayie and Hairi were definitely two different persons… Hairi was the mastermind, and Ayie was the one who made the idea came to live on black and white. It's true that Hairi is a boy's name but that's ayie's real name…

Gojyo: Instead, Ayie was Hairi and Hairi was Hairi… gesh! No wonder Azzie-san went crazy… I'm getting confused myself…scratched his head

Aiko: ma…ma… Gojyo…get a hold of yourself. It's simple…I mean they both shared the same name… but they are not the same person.

Hakkai: which means….?

Aiko: You still didn't get it don't you? slapped head in disbelief… Hakkai and Gojyo: shook head 

Aiko: Hairi was Ayie's brother… who gave her all the ideas and the encouragements. However Ayie's name is also Hairi… see… they shared the same name… well some part of it. If any of the readers noticed this… ayie had already changed her pen name into ayie@Hairi… 

Hakkai: Hai! She said she wanted her brother to take all the responsibilities too if she should ever get any negative responses. looked at Gojyo who had already asleep with confusion

Hairi's note: I definitely helped my sis with her fic… but it's not me who said all the things that were against men…e.g: "Men are so annoying!" from the last chap…she made it all by herself… and Homura (from Azzie-san ikkou), what made you think that man can't write beautifully ne?

Aiko: Actually they couldn't… that's why he asked his sis to write it all down instead he himself wrote the ficwhispering mode by the way… you would see Hairi interfering a lot in the coming chaps… he fought with ayie over the computer… and he won sometimes…

Hairi: she asked for it…


	18. The Guilt

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Saiyuki characters. They honorably belong to Minekura Sensei. Please don't sue me.

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Ayie: Arghh!!! I'm going crazy for sure… no make it totally pissed off, furious, mad, annoyed… what so ever!!! cursing continuously 

Sanzo: Oi! What happened? clamped Ayie's mouth from uttering more and more foul language    

Ayie: struggled to let go I was typing for my chap 18 and suddenly the computer revert it to read-only and suddenly… it…it…        Sanzo: getting impatient it what?!

Ayie: It disappeared!!! wailed out loud I've already finished a quarter of it and now I have to retype it all over again… wargh!!! banged head to the wall  

Sanzo: K'so! ran to ayie and stopped her from banging her head to the wall Hakkai! I need your help here…                        Hakkai: Ma…ma…ayie, don't hurt yourself… you can always make it all over again…

Sanzo: took ayie in his arms and hushed her softly Naa…Ayie, we'll work it out together…   Ayie: wept sadly sob…sob…

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**Chapter 18 – The Guilt**

The man stared at the being curled up in a large energy barrier in the middle of the chamber. He grinned. 'Such a tiny being… such a mess… what power does it possessed?'. Xiang was amused at the fact that the harmless little being could trigger such chaos between good and evil. Baron wanted the baby for revenge and Sanzo-ikkou sworn to protect him with their life.

He shook his head, laughing at the irony of life occurred before his own eyes. The baby slept peacefully in the chamber while out there somewhere, a group of fighters fought and endangered their own life just to get him out of there. Xiang walked around the energy barrier and halted at the spot where he could see the baby's face.

At a blink of a second, the baby disappeared and was replaced by an image of something so familiar to him but yet so painful. The image of four figures curled up in tanks filled with green fluids, flinching and stirring at the pain. Among the figures, his eyes fixed on a girl of dark hair so long that it reached her waistline. Her image danced before his eyes. Her face was so calm that even the pain didn't give any effect. She's so beautiful and charming, even with her eyes closed. His heart beats fast. She looked like as if she's sleeping and dreaming away peacefully. She absorbed the pain by drinking away the elixir of life around her.

 Involuntarily, he reached out a hand and tried to touch her.

"Leya…" soft moan escaped from between his two lips. A foot was put before the other and he was about to take a step further when a figure appeared at the door.

"Xiang-sama" a voice from his back jerked him away from his hallucination. The image of the girl vaporized in the thin air and was again replaced by the energy barrier with the baby floating inside it. 'Who is that girl?' he shook his head and turned around to the door. A general stood by the door and bowed his head slightly to him.

Xiang stepped away from the energy barrier and made his way to his throne. The general trailed his steps. Xiang sunk to his throne and anchored his head on one arm. "Tell me!" he ordered as the general advanced into his sight.

The general kneeled in front of the throne and bowed his head. "Xiang-sama, our soldier in the wood reported that Sanzo-ikkou is on their way here" he reported. 

Xiang smirked. 'Finally…' 

"We're waiting for you orders to carry out the counter attack" the general looked up to him, waiting for his respond. 

"We'll wait!" he gave out his order, much to the general's disapproval. But the latter man didn't give any effort to object the order. He bowed his head and retreated from the chamber. An order is an order. 

Xiang tilted his head to one side. 'Come on… I'm waiting for you Genjo Sanzo' He closed his eyes and smiled.

******************************* 

_"What do you got here?" she snatched the piece of paper in Leya's hand and sunk herself on the bed, next to her sister. Leya, quite astounded with the impact that hit her by sudden reacted spontaneously by slapping the girl who caused it at her back. She fell down to the floor and flinched at her aching back. "Ne… O-nee-chan, this is not training session… you don't have to give out your best effort to hit me" she rose up and settled herself next to the dark haired girl. _

_"That served you right!" Leya chuckled. She snatched away the paper, which was taken from her a moment ago. Reika reached out one arm to retrieve it but her sister was quick. She pouted and turned her back to Leya. Her arms crossed before her chest and her face gave away a bitter look._

_Leya shook her head and smiled. She wrapped her arms around her sister and kissed her at the cheek. "I'm in love" she announced with a merry tone._

_"Nani?!" she turned around and set herself free from Leya's arms. "A girl so stubborn and so naughty like you has finally falls in love?" Reika slapped her head in disbelief. "Pinch me… I must be dreaming" her remark caused her another slap at the head from Leya. She staggered a bit and regained her balance a moment later. _

_"Yare…yare… three more times like that I'm sure to have amnesia" she shook away the image of little stars twinkling around her head. Reika turned around and looked at her sister. "Who's that unlucky guy who was destined to be your husband and my brother-in-law?" teasing was her expertise, no doubt. She dodged another slap that came down to her head. She avoided the slap from reaching her head but failed to avoid it from reaching her butt. She yelped._

_Leya giggled. But then her face turned soothe and her lips uttered a name "It's Liamm" was the name escaped from her rosy lips._

_Reika's eyes widened at hearing the name. She gaped at her sister with mouth wide opened. "Aww… man! Of hundreds men in this world, you end up falling in love with that man?" she protested. She shook her head. "Having you as a sister was already a torture… and now having Liamm as a brother-in-law would be a total disaster!" Reika exclaimed. _

_Leya's hung her head low. "You don't like him?" her voice trembled._

_Reika smiled. She flung an arm around Leya's shoulder and pulled her sister close to her. "Are you kidding? He's the most perfect man I can ever think of for you" she reassured as she chuckled, amused at Leya's respond to her silly remark. _

_"Honto ni?" Leya lifted her face and rolled her eyes upon Reika's face. A smile returned to her face._

_"Hai hai!" Reika sighed. "Even though I really don't like the idea of having a big bully as my brother-in-law" she waited for another respond. _

_"You rascal!" Leya pinched her cheek at hearing that remark. But then, Leya flung both of her arms around Reika's neck and hugged her tightly. She landed a kiss on Reika's forehead. "I love you" she whispered to her ear. _

_Reika tightened her embrace as if she didn't want to let go. _

*****************************

"Aiko" the voice snapped her away from her past. Aiko turned around and lost her balance as she bumped onto someone. She almost stumbled to the ground if Hakkai hadn't grabbed her by the arm and pulled her upright. "Daijoubu desuka ne Aiko?" the emerald-eyed man asked with concern.

"Daijoubu da yo" Aiko reassured. She presented him a smile, a pretending smile. Bad news for her, Hakkai didn't buy her answer. He stared down to her face and waited for her to explain the thing that bothered her mind. It was not typical of Aiko to be off alert. Aiko sighed. She must tell him the truth. "Hakkai… Xiang is my brother-in-law" she confessed, much to Hakkai's shock.

Aiko retreated her eyes from Hakkai's emeralds and turned to gaze at Sanzo, Gojyo, Goku and Kazo, who stood looking at the road that split into three junctions. She looked back to Hakkai. That man was still speechless. "I don't know if the human in Xiang still exist or is it the other way around… but monster or not, I don't think I can kill him" Aiko gave out a sincere confession. 

Aiko looked down to her feet. She nudged the sand beneath her feet with the edge of one shoe. "I mean… I owed my life to Leya-nee-chan, don't you think I'm responsible to take him back into his human form?" she glanced up. Still no respond from the man with the monocle. Aiko sighed. 

"Suman ne Hakkai… for making you worried" she took a step away from the emerald-eyed man but the latter grabbed her arm by sudden and pulled her close to him. Aiko fell upon the man's torso. Her eyes rolled upon Hakkai's face. She looked for the motive of his act in the man's face. "Hakkai?" Aiko felt like she was in someone else's arms, not the Hakkai she knew. Hakkai was different from his usual self. The typical Hakkai's smile was no more on his face. 

"Aiko…" Hakkai sunk his face into Aiko's hair as he hugged her tightly. "Don't torture yourself for something you are not destined to do… bringing Xiang back into his human form was not your job" he whispered to her ear. "I know it's hard to let go but Leya's death was not your fault" Hakkai fully understood of what's going on in Aiko's mind.

Hakkai released Aiko from his embrace and looked at her straight in the eyes. The girl was totally shaken up by his act. "You said it yourself… the only way to bring him back to himself is to pluck out the chip from his head but we are well aware that by doing it, he'll die" Hakkai reminded the girl of her own words. 

Aiko gulped. She did say that. She did think that Leya's death was her fault. Aiko looked up to Hakkai. The man's face soothed a bit. 'I guess this man do know how to get angry' 

"I felt the same way like you do when Kannan died, I blamed myself for her death" Hakkai sighed. "Trust me, it won't do you any good, instead you'll feel like you wanted to die just to make yourself feel better" he cupped Aiko's face in his palm. No way he's going to lose this girl the way he loses Kannan. 

Aiko tried not to look into Hakkai's eyes. What Hakkai said is the truth. She would be willing die if it what it takes to bring Xiang back to his human form. 

"It's wrong, dying won't make you feel better… it will hurt more and more" Hakkai tried really hard to convince her. He's not going to stop until the girl says something in return. "The only way for you to forgive yourself was to live with it and try to accept the fact that your sister died protecting you… she died because she wanted to protect the one she loved and that one person is you" Hakkai's smile returned to his face. 

"It's hard" Aiko finally said something, much to Hakkai's relief. 

"I know it's hard… but you got to try, for your own sake, for the sake of the people who love you" Hakkai's voice has slowed down. "Won't you at least try for the one you loved and the one who loved you… like Kazo, Sanzo….or me?" he gulped down the last word. Aiko was taken aback at that thought. She had forgotten that she had greater responsibility of loving someone than bringing Xiang back to his human form. 

"Let Reika died, don't bring her back and conquered Aiko that I loved" Hakkai finished his last word. He glanced down to Aiko's face. No respond from the latter. He sighed with disappointment. Hakkai was about to walk away when Aiko grabbed his wrist. Hakkai turned around and smiled. The girl's smile has returned and her sorrow seemed to fade away.

"Arigatou na Hakkai?" Aiko chirped. 'She has let go' "I don't want to promise you that I won't try bringing Xiang back from his monstrousness… because I'm not good at keeping promises" she said. 

"Yare… yare…" Hakkai chuckled nervously. 'I guess taking care of this girl is a hard work'

**************************** 

Yumi shook herself away from a nap she never wished to take. She took a painful breath and looked around. The air around her was still and stiffed. The dungeon was so dark and cold. Yumi moved her numb hands but the shackles bounding her wrist made any slight movement barely possible. Fatigue overtook her by sudden and she was about to doze off when an image of her son appeared in front of her eyes. 

"Keiro…" Yumi hissed softly. She moved her body toward the image but she could not get herself free from the shackles. The image faded away slowly. 'It was just a dream'. But then her eyes widened as she saw Keiro sat beyond the steel bars upward and waved for her. Yumi blinked with tears. "Keiro!!!" Yumi yanked her body away from the muddy wall behind her but the binding shackles strengthened and pulled her back to the wall.

Yumi's face showed complete blankness. Her eyes gleamed no light but her longing for her son. She yanked herself away from the wall again and again until the edge of the shackles penetrated into her slender wrists, giving way to deep cuts that poured crimson liquid. 

Her arms were soaked wet with blood and the wounds gave a stabbing pain. But her fear of losing her only child overtook her physical pain. The pain of losing her son was a pain she could never endure.

"Keiro…" Yumi wailed out loud when the image of her baby vanished in thin air. "Keiro…"she sobbed sadly, almost whispering. Yumi's heart sunk into her deepest sorrow. Her hope to see her baby alive died when the image disappeared. "Gomen ne Keiro…I've let you down"

*************************** 

Goku scratched his head and looked back to Sanzo. "I don't smell any youki from any of these junctions" he exclaimed as he sniffed around. They were stuck in the middle of their journey to the mansion when they came to the spot where the road was split into three junctions. They had no idea of which junction to take in order to get to the mansion and Hakkai was busy talking to Aiko that he didn't have the time to pick on the road they should take. Usually, they just let Hakkai gambling on their decision.

"Why don't they put a signboard somewhere?" Goku pouted. Suddenly his tummy grumbled. Goku clutched his stomach and mumbled "Harahetta…" he sunk to his feet and sat cross-legged on the ground.

"WHACK!!"

The legendary harisen smacked Goku right on the head. Goku yelped in pain as he looked at Sanzo. "Ittaii… nande yo?" he mumbled and rubbed the aching spot. Gojyo appeared from behind Sanzo. 

"Ba-ka!" the hanyou slapped Goku hard on the head, causing the latter to fell head over heels on the ground. "You think they would welcome their enemies with a signboard saying the 'Mansion is this way' and celebrate our arrival with wine, song and confetti?" Gojyo yelled to the itan's face.

"Eh! They would?" Goku asked naively.

"Ch!" Gojyo slapped his head in disbelief. Goku would never get a hang of irony. "Snapped away from your stupid thought you food-brain saru!!" Gojyo shook Goku's shoulder madly.

"Ororo…" Goku's eyes spun madly. "Ittai…" he clasped his spinning head when Gojyo finally stopped shacking his body. 

Gojyo rose up to his feet and looked forward. Now he's the one wishing that their enemies would put a signboard somewhere. Gojyo spun around and looked at Hakkai, who was just arriving with Aiko, hand in hand. "Yo loverboy! This is not the time to hug and kiss… we sure got a big problem here" Gojyo said with a sneer.

"Yare…yare… suman ne minna-san" Hakkai let go off Aiko's hand and went to get his comrades. He stared at the three roads. His instinct told him to take the last junction but then his mind urged him to take the first one. Hakkai scratched his head.

"Yada yada… don't tell me you had finally lose your ability to decide?" Gojyo put his elbow on Hakkai's shoulder. Hakkai grinned with guilt. Goku was right, there was no sign of any youki and that made matter worst. 

"Ch!" Sanzo grunted as he lit a cigarette and put it in between his lips. "Hayaku… we don't have all day" he muttered coldly.

"Hai hai!" Hakkai nodded edgily and turned to gaze at the road. His mind couldn't make things up. Suddenly a soft pat landed on his shoulder. Hakkai glanced over his shoulder and found Aiko smiling at him. She raised a brow and pointed her chin to the roads. Hakkai smiled. "We'll take the last one" he decided and retreated to the jeep. The rest of the ikkou hopped in the jeep as Hakkai switched on the ignition and stirred the gear. He stepped on the accelerator and the jeep zoomed into the last junction. 

Gojyo crossed his arms behind his head and leaned against the jeep. "Hai hai! What luck to have someone encouraging and supporting you" Gojyo was being sarcastic again and at a blink of the eye a fist landed on his head. "Oi! Watch it!" he spun and sent Aiko a piercing glare. 

Aiko stuck out her tongue at the kappa. "You deserved it!" she said. 

Goku and Kazo laughed heartily. 'Adults do act weird sometimes'

"Ch!" Sanzo's hand itched. He reached out for his harisen and presented each of the passengers at the backseat a good whack on their heads. He moved so fast that it took only a few seconds to finish his task.

"Ittaii…" the victims of his harisen moaned softly and clung to their heads. Sanzo grumbled something beneath his breath and settled back to his seat. He sent Hakkai a deadly glare as the latter smiled in a funny way at him. 

"Yare…yare desune" Hakkai sighed and chuckled happily. Deep inside he was not happy at all. A lot of innocent life is at risk in this one battle and that includes his loved one. Hakkai glanced in the rear-view mirror, to the image of laughing Aiko. He had to keep his eyes on that girl. She was still uncertain of her own ability and her will to kill Xiang. Hakkai knew well that uncertainty would lead to disaster and Hakkai didn't want that to happen. Not to the one he loved and cared for, his love and his companions.

Sanzo glanced at Hakkai from the corner of his eyes. Hakkai's smile finally ceased and that man's brows connected. Sanzo grunted. He knew well what the dark haired man was thinking and he didn't like it either. How he wished he didn't have anyone to protect. 

But now they were too late to turn back. Whatever waiting for them at the end of their road, they would have to face it together whether they like it or not. 

"Don't worry, we'll be just fine… Sanzo-nii-chan" the girl behind him drew her face down next to his face and whispered to his ear. She then backed away, giggling hilariously at his reaction when he heard the last word uttered.

Veins popped out on his forehead and his eyebrows arched down. Sanzo reached for his harisen back in his oversized sleeve and brought in out in the open. But before he could even turned around to give the girl a nice whack on the head, she flung her arms around his neck and landed a kiss on his cheek. He spun his head the other way around spontaneously.

"A kiss to cease your fear" Aiko said merrily as she pinched Sanzo's nose between her fingers.

Sanzo felt his blood from his body rushed to his face and his body fell numb at instant. The harisen slipped away from his hand and landed on the seat. He hung his mouth opened and stared at Aiko with disbelief.

Gojyo, Goku and Kazo gawked at the scene and almost fell off the jeep. Hakkai chuckled in glee. 'Finally Aiko had found a way to stop Sanzo's madness'

"Ch!" Sanzo turned his face away and stared at his lap. No words escaped from his mouth. Even the atmosphere around him started to tense if not for Hakkai and Aiko's smiles. A tiny curl appeared at the edge of the monk's lips. Locks of golden strands fell upon his face and made it impossible for the rest to see his rare smile. 

"I wish I can do that when Sanzo wants to whack my head" Gojyo muttered down at his throat. And it was not his luck today because the monk suddenly turned around and pointed the mouth of the shoureijuu to his temple. Gojyo gulped. 

"Do you want to die badly ero kappa?" Sanzo's glare pierced into his eyes. Gojyo raised both arms in the air as a sign of surrender and grinned nervously. At this time he could only count on one man to save his life.

"Ma…ma…Sanzo, you better not waste your bullet" finally the man spoke up, much to Gojyo's relief. "We're already here" Hakkai continued as he stepped on the brake. The jeep screeched and halted right in front of a huge gate that separate them from the mansion. The monk retreated his shoureijuu and studied the mansion up ahead. Gojyo gaped at the size of the mansion, extremely huge and well built. He whistled. 

"Man… this Baron really is one hell of a rich youkai" Gojyo rolled his eyes as he glanced around. Beyond the gate was a road that wound its way throughout an estate that covered the land as far as eyes could see. The road ended at the mansion right in the middle of the estate. 

"Yare… yare… I guess this is it" Hakkai stepped on the accelerator with a full force, sending a loud vroom to fill the serene atmosphere. The engine roared out loud and Harkuryu gave out an energetic coo. Hakkai stirred the gear and stepped on the gas pedal. "Hold on minna-san… here we go!!!" The jeep moved forward at full speed and rammed the gate with a loud impact. The gate was spread opened and the jeep sled smoothly with the same speed toward the mansion. The passengers on board waited in anxiety as the jeep made its way through the estate. 

The battle is minutes ahead and each of them was ready for it. No sounds emerged except for their heartbeats that were made from their heart pounding to their chest. The only different sound appeared soon after as Goku and Kazo's stomach gave way to a loud grumble.

"Harahetta…." They mumbled softly.

The elders of the ikkou sweat dropped. 

To be continue…..

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Ayie: Wargh…!! GS-chan, you really made my heart melt… what a trouble you went through just to review my fic wiped the tears trickling down her face… just really don't need to retype it you know…? Wah! You made me cried…hu…hu… by the way thanks for the profiterole…cut the profiterole in halves and gave one half to Goku Here's for you Goku…

Goku: Yay! Sankyu na Ayie-nee-chan… gobbled up the profiterole and finished it an seconds Do you have more?    Ayie: sweat dropped No… you have to ask GS-chan for it… by the way GS-chan, to return your favor I'll put more scenes on Hakkai and Aiko in my next chaps…^__~

Ayie: Yare… yare… I finally finished this chapter. Thanks for all my reviewers… Kuroi-san, it's great to hear from you again, it's been a long time and I almost miss you ne… he…he… and thanks for Prozact addict for offering to be my beta reader… I've already sent you a mail…Arigatou!!! ^o^. 

Sanzo: Oi oi! When are you going to start on the next chap… you really have not much time left you know?

Ayie: Yare…yare… I guess I don't. I only got like… what…? 14 days keep my fic updated regularly… I have to finish this fic in that 14 days or else my readers have to wait for one whole week for a new chap… that's scary…well… I'll try to finish this fic at instant… it's not good to make them waiting…


	19. The Beginning

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Saiyuki characters. They honorably belong to Minekura Sensei. Please don't sue me.

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Ayie: Like usual… thanks for reading and reviewing this fic. I hope no one got bored with this so long fic… ^___^". I never thought this fic would end up being so long. I haven't reached the third quarter of it yet but I already got a plan for a sequel… somebody stop me onegai!!! O__o#

Sanzo: Che… baka author… why don't you finish this one first before planning for a sequel… and do you think any readers would read your stupid fic?

Ayie: Nanda'to? take a cushion and whacked Sanzo's head   Sanzo: Shi---Ne!!! took another cushion and slammed it on Ayie's head    Goku: Charrrgeeeed!!! joined the cushion fight a little later    Hakkai: Ma…ma… minna-san…calm down… waving his hand in front of him frantically

Gojyo: Since everybody was so busy with this cushion fight… I guess I'll take over Ayie's task… she would like to say thanks to Azzie-san, GS-chan, Kuroi-san [who reviewed this fic from chap to chap]… Prozact Addict, Imaginator, Sk8er Boi, Crissania, Gallatica, Blackrose, animegurl, UltraM2000… those who have her on their favorite author list, tuthakkai, Rinrei, Saiyuki freak and Lady Lanyara Artemisan [not forgetting GS-chan]…and to all readers who had come across this fic…Arigatou minna-san bowed slightly

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**Chapter 19 – The Beginning**

_500 hundreds years ago, back in Tenkai_

A small figure sneaked out of a room and tiptoed along the aisle with his eyes rolling to every side of his way, keeping alert on any sight of Tenkai's guards. After he was sure that no one followed, he started to run into the direction of the garden.

He bumped into someone as he hopped away from the aisle, causing him to stumble head over heels to the ground. The one he bumped into bent down and clutched to her stomach, groaning at the throbbing pain inside.

"Ittai…" Goku moaned softly and clung to his aching head. He leaned on his side and supported his weight with one elbow. 

"Yare… yare… Goku?" the girl bent down with both hands at her laps. She looked down to him with a flicker of concern on her delicate face. Her raven black hair swayed freely as the morning breeze blew and swept her face softly. Her lips that shamed the rosy color of the peach curled up into a sweet smile. Her sapphire blue eyes gleamed in the sunlight that shone above them. She reached out a hand to him. "Daijoubu desuka ne?"

Goku looked up and grinned childishly. He took the offered hand and let himself being pulled to stand upright by the girl in white. "Gomen Aki-chan" he apologized as he let the girl swept the dust on his outfit. 

The girl he called Aki-chan smiled sweetly. "Be careful next time, you might have hurt yourself you know?" she pinched Goku's chubby cheek and ruffled his spiky brown hair affectionately. The boy giggled in glee.

"Why are you in hurry ne Goku?" asked Akina as she swept away the beads of sweat on Goku's forehead.

"I want to go to the garden and pick up some pretty flowers for Konzen" Goku explained with a wide grin on his face. "I saw some pretty flowers yesterday but they haven't bloom yet so that's why I come again today" He babbled as his forefinger pointing to the garden. Akina looked up to the mentioned spot. 

"The flowers sure have bloomed" she approved as she glanced over the meadow. Wild flowers bloomed and colored the wide meadow with pink, green, red, blue, yellow, orange and many other colors that made empty spots were barely available in sight. The flowers grown freely as far as the eyes could see. The wind that blew softly on the meadow made the sea of flowers swayed aimlessly. Akina smiled.

"Why don't we go together?" Akina suggested as she looked down to the chibi itan. The kid's excitement made her heart flattered. 

"Honto ni?" Goku's golden eyes gleamed with delight. He stared bewilderedly at the young celestial before him. The young goddess smiled and nodded. Goku jumped up and down in joy. 

"I need to visit that brother of mine sometimes and it won't hurt if I bring him some souvenir" Akina reached out a hand to Goku and the latter happily took it in his own. Goku coaxed Akina to the garden and they ran hand in hand as he sang out a happy song.

Akina chuckled merrily and took every steps swift and fast to keep pace with the carefree itan up ahead. 

**************************** 

"THOMP!" Konzen stamped the last document on his desk and shoved it aside. He put down his writing utensil and sunk his face into his cupped palms. He sighed deeply. There was a throbbing pain inside his head. He ran a finger over his forehead and moved it in circular motions to ease the pain. 

"Ch!" Konzen wished he never had to do this boring job over and over. He would die of it someday. He lifted his face and glanced around the room. The room was too quiet and too peaceful, which is quite impossible since the saru was put into his charge months ago. 'Where's that little brat anyway?' Konzen rose up to his feet and looked down to the floor over his table. 

There were paper planes made out of his old newspaper and some lousy paintings of him in a dress everywhere on the marble floor. Ink blots smeared the floor and emerged against the gleaming jade colored of the mosaic. Konzen grunted. 'Now I need to clean the floor all over again'. But there's no sign of the saru everywhere. The blond celestial slapped his forehead in anoyyance. 'He must have sneaked out of the room when I was not looking'

"K'so!" he muttered beneath his breath. He walked around one side of the desk and headed for the door. Konzen spread the door opened and "Guards!!!" he yelled out loud, making several guards scrambled from their guarding position and darted toward him.

"Look for that saru!!" he ordered as he slammed the door behind him. The guards scampered around in every direction and started to search for their target. Konzen grumbled something down at his throat and headed toward the West Army General's office. He marched grumpily toward the office with veins popping out on his head. 

**************************** 

Kanzeon Bosatsu lifted her face and turned her head to the right side. She looked over the window and spotted his favorite nephew walking along the aisle with a grumpy look upon his reddened face. He was heading to the West Army General's office.  

The Kannon-sama's lips curled slightly. She put down the paper she was reading a moment ago and slammed her back to her throne. The megumi-sama giggled in glee. 

"Kanzeon Bosatsu?" Jiroushin looked up to his master with wonders. 

"It's a good idea putting the boy in Konzen's care… look how much my beloved nephew had changed since he came" Kanzeon Bosatsu exclaimed, making her assistant turned his head to the right. Konzen, the mentioned man, was marching along the aisle toward Tenpou Gensui's office. It's quite rare to see Konzen in the out considering the fact that that nephew of the Goddess of Mercy never came out of his office before. Now, at least four times a day, they could see him either being dragged away by his 'pet' or marching around Tenkai to look for the saru. 

"No more did I hear him complaining about being so bored that he could die since that saru came into his life" Kanzeon Bosatsu smiled. 'Would you be his sun forever ne Konzen?' 

"Konzen, Tenpou, Kenren and Goku… they were destined to be together" she anchored her chin on her hand. "Oh… and Akina too… how can I forgot that niece of mine?" the kannon-sama shook her head in disbelief as she chuckled sarcastically.

Jiroushin sweat dropped. 

**************************** 

Konzen pushed the door with a mighty force, causing a loud bang as the door slammed to the wall. A head with dark hair popped out from under the table. A pair of emerald green eyes blinked with astonishment at him as he entered the office, which looked more like a library. 

"Konzen?" the young General rose up to his feet, sending several books on his lap to fall down on the floor as he stood up. His exclamation made another man of red hair appeared from behind the bookshelves. The red haired man stared at him with disbelief.

"Ma…ma…Konzen, what happened?" Tenpou asked. He stepped away from his desk and advanced to Konzen. The young general fixed his glasses on the right place and looked at Konzen. 'Must be about the kid again' Tenpou judged it from the number of veins popping out on the celestial's forehead. 

"Yada yada! Let me guess, you lost your pet again?" the red haired man smirked. 

"Ch! Mind your own business" Konzen snapped back. Kenren raised his shoulders slightly. The blond celestial looked up to Tenpou. "So, he's not here?" he asked. 

Tenpou shook his head frantically. "Gomen… but I haven't seen him today" he explained. 'It's quite weird though, where else could that boy be?'

Konzen glanced around the office. The room was a mess. Stacks of books were everywhere on the floor. "What are you guys doing?" he was being curious. 

"Mister bookworm here made a mess after blissful hours of reading and desperately need someone's help to clean it up soon after" Kenren sent Tenpou a glare that made the latter chuckled nervously. 

"Yare…yare… sumimasen" he apologized as he smiled innocently. Kenren sighed with surrender. Who could win over that pathetic smile? Even the blond celestial standing at the door right before them knew how murderous that smile could be. 

"So, he hadn't come here?" Konzen was not satisfied. Who would be? Letting the saru wandering around Tenkai with no one keeping an eye over him was disastrous. Anything could happen. Chaos, turmoil, mess, and all the bad things are likely to happen if the saru was left to wander alone in Tenkai. 

Kenren and Tenpou shook their heads, much to Konzen disapproval. But then, Tenpou snapped his fingers. "I just remembered, yesterday Goku said something about flowers that hadn't bloom in the meadow" he smiled. 

"He must be there" Kenren added. Where else could that kid go in Tenkai? Knowing the 'hospitality' showered upon him as he stepped a foot on Tenkai, that kid didn't have much choices on places he could visit around the heaven. 

Konzen cursed beneath his breath and dashed out of the office. The latter two tailed him from behind as the he headed for the garden. Anger flared upon his face that his head seemed to blow off steams. 

"Let's hope Goku was not at the garden…" Kenren whispered to Tenpou, who walked side by side with him. Tenpou nodded and sent his eyes to gaze at the marching blond several feet ahead of them. Konzen looked like as if he could gobble Goku down to his throat with a single gulp. "Or else this blond kami would surely eat him up for his dinner" Kenren added.

Tenpou giggled frantically. "Konzen didn't have that much appetite, he seldom ate dinner" he said with a silly tone. Less that he understood Kenren's silly remark. 

Kenren jaw dropped and slapped his head with disbelief. "Never mind, forget it" he gave in. 

********************** 

Konzen, Tenpou and Kenren halted right under a cherry blossom tree and scanned the area for their subject. Goku was nowhere around the garden. The crimson color on Konzen's face got even more furious. They glanced through the wide meadow, looking for spiky locks of brown hair popping out among the flowers. Yet, they found nothing.

"Hai hai! Looks like he's not here" Tenpou scratched his head as he looked around. 

"Where else could he be?" Kenren looked up to the cherry blossom tree. Still, no sign of Goku climbing up the tree. 

Konzen swept a cherry blossom that fell on top of his head and cursed annoyingly. 'That saru never failed to trouble me' "Ikkuzo!" Konzen gave out order as he turned around and headed back for the aisle. 'May be he was with that old hag after all'

The three celestials were about to turn back when they heard soft hums coming from the meadow. They looked back to the ocean of flowers and kept their ears at alert.  "There!" Tenpou snapped as he pointed a finger into the edge of the garden, to a cherry blossom tree that stood brilliantly among the rest. The humming sound came from there.

Konzen, Tenpou and Kenren dashed toward the mentioned place. They halted right in front of a figure sat under the tree. The figure looked up to them and smiled.

***************************

"Yukata… now I don't have to go to your place ne o-nii-chan?" Akina chirped merrily. 

"Ch!" Konzen grunted. He looked down to Akina, his one and only sister, and glanced to the little brat he searched for. Goku curled up and made Akina's laps his pillow. Akina's hand brushed his hair affectionately as he sunk into his deepest sleep. The soft hums they heard just now must have been Akina singing a lullaby to put Goku to sleep.

Akina followed Konzen's gaze and spotted the subject. She smiled again. "He got stung by a bee while picking up flowers for you… so I healed him and made him sleeps" she explained as she landed a soft peck on the sleeping boy's head. She reached to her side and held out a garland made of the wild flowers. "We made this for you… Goku collected all the flowers and I weaved it out for you" 

Konzen looked away but still he took the garland. Tenpou, Kenren and Akina smiled. 

"You are not supposed to be here don't you?" Kenren looked at Akina with doubts. As far as he knew, Goddess of Love never had time to hang around Tenkai doing nothing like she was doing right now. 

Akina nodded in glee. She chuckled and her dimples appeared on both of her cheeks. "I just need some time away from the task of showering love upon the beings down in Genkai" she brushed her locks that fell on her face and fastened it with a golden clip.

Tenpou smiled. "But I see you still haven't got yourself free from your task… you're still showering your love upon Goku" he exclaimed. 

"Anou…" Akina scratched her head and then chuckled edgily. "I did it didn't I?" 

"Hai hai! Not forgetting loving someone somewhere…" Kenren said with a sneer as his eyes rolled and then the gaze fell upon Tenpou's face. As soon as he did that, a rock connected with his skull. Kenren looked down to Akina and received another stone at his temple. "Oi! Nande yo?" he asked fumingly.

"I might be the Goddess of Love but I still have the devil inside" she warned.

"You don't have the devil inside" Konzen corrected his sister's word. Akina looked at Konzen with eyes filled with wonders. Konzen turned around and say "You are the devil itself" 

Akina's face turned red with anger. She carefully lifted Goku's head on her laps and put him tenderly on the bed of fallen cherry blossoms. Akina rose up and walked toward Konzen with grumpy march. She forcefully turned Konzen around and made him looked at her face. 

Tenpou and Kenren watched the scene with fret. They waited for the outcome. Either one of the siblings would surely get the consequences. Knowing the pair, the consequences would turn to be bad, real bad.

Out of the blue, Akina flung her arms around Konzen's neck and presented her brother a soft kiss on the forehead. "That's for your misbehavior upon Goddess of Love" Akina smiled as she released Konzen's neck and pinched his nose playfully.

Konzen smacked Akina's hand away and grunted. 

Tenpou and Kenren gawked at the outcome. "That's it…? That's what you get if you misbehaved upon her?" Kenren nudged Tenpou's side with his elbow and raised a brow. At instant, a fist hit his temple.

"Ittai…" Kenren clutched his head with his hands. He rubbed the spot where a nasty lump had started to form. That dark haired guy never missed the target. "Ch!"  He looked at Tenpou as the latter grinned menacingly.

"Akina-sama!!" a voice and loud thumping sound of feet stomping to the ground made the four celestials turned their heads toward the aisle. Several guards from Tenkai's gate dashed toward them with full speed. "Akina-sama" they chanted the name over and over.

Konzen, Tenpou, Kenren and Akina waited for the guards to reach them. 

"Akina-sama" a guard halted right in front of Akina and bowed his head slightly. He lifted his head and looked up to the young megumi. "Nataku Taishi-sama had come back from Genkai and he suffered major wound that needed to be heal as soon as possible, Li Touten-sama summoned you to get to his aid immediately" the guard reported while he panted heavily. 

Akina sighed. She glanced at the guards and nodded. "You go ahead, I'll be there soon" she agreed. The guards bowed their heads and retreated to the direction from where they came from. 

Akina let out a deep, hollow breath from the bottom of her lungs. She swept her raven black hair to the back and turned to look at the three kamis. But then, she looked down to her feet. "One day I will make Li Touten pays for making a killing puppet out of his own son" she whispered. "I'm tired of treating his injured son over and over, I'm tired of listening to Nataku's cries of pain… he's still a kid" she added with a soft sob. 

"Akina…" Tenpou moved a step toward the megumi but then he halted right in front of her when Akina looked up to him and smiled. 

"But I guess, that's my work as a Goddess of Love" Akina chirped as she clasped her hands together. She smiled merrily. "And I could not run away from it no matter how hard I tried" Akina turned around and headed for the aisle.

Tenpou grabbed Akina's hand and dragged her close to him. The latter didn't make any effort to let free from the man's grip. She looked up to him with a slight curl on her rosy lips. "I have to go, Nataku needs me"

"Just promise me you won't do anything stupid" Tenpou whispered at her ear as he hugged her tightly. Akina was totally taken aback by the latter's sudden act of care. Tenpou never showed his affection out in the open, especially when that red haired and the blond were around. Akina smiled. She gave the emerald-eyed general a loving peck on the cheek and freed herself from Tenpou's hug. 

"I'm not good at keeping promises Tenpou" Akina caressed Tenpou's face and smiled. She lets go off Tenpou's hand and looked at Konzen and Kenren then at the sleeping Goku.

"Konzen-nii-chan, please look after Goku? I don't want that smile of his fades away just like Nataku's" she glanced at Konzen. Konzen grunted and let his head fell to his chest for once. He nodded. Akina smile.

"Ch!" Kenren sighed. 'What a hideous smile' 

Akina shook her head and laughed softly. She turned around and this time Tenpou just let her go. She walked gracefully to the aisle. "Jaa ne" she greeted as she waved her hand in the air. Never did she turn her gaze back at them. 

The three celestials watched the megumi faded away into the darkest part of the aisle. 

"Goddess of Love and the War God… they were both Tenkai's puppets, they served Tenkai in order to gain belief and respect from the human down in Genkai" Kenren grumbled as he sunk himself next to sleeping Goku. He leaned against the cherry blossoms tree and closed his eyes. "One fought with his life to assure peace in the world below and the other showered love to enlightened the beings in it… what a nice combination of keeping the faith of the mortals upon the kamis in heaven" he whispered. 

Konzen looked at the direction where his sister disappeared. 'Akina… I hope you never accept the position of Goddess of Love from the beginning…' Konzen settled himself under the cherry blossoms and studied the garland in his hand. But deep inside he knew very well that his sister didn't have any choices. 

Suddenly Goku stirred in his sleep and flung an arm over his waist. Konzen was taken aback but he relaxed soon after. He landed a hand on the itan's head and patted it gently. _'Please look after Goku? I don't want that smile of his fades away just like Nataku's'_  Akina's voice rang in his ears.

Tenpou sighed as he slammed himself to the ground, next to Konzen. _'I'm not good at keeping promises Tenpou'_ It's hard for him to see someone that he loved so much keeping her suffers inside and was not able to reveal it to anybody. 

The three of them sighed at the same time, except for the sleeping one who kept chanting the names of variety of food. 

*************************** 

"You know what's going to happen to Akina, why don't you try to stop her from doing it?" Jiroushin moved his pawn on the chessboard and waited for his opponent's next move. He looked up to his opponent, the Goddess of Mercy.

"It was fated… I could not change it" the kannon-sama scratched her chin and stared at the chessboard, planning for a brilliant move. "After all, Tenkai does need someone who can voice their dissatisfaction out loud" she moved the queen and shoved Jiroushin's pawn aside. 

Jiroushin slapped his head in disbelief. He was so close to winning the game. 

Kanzeon smirked in victory. "And the one who stood up against the law of the heaven was just happened to be someone from my family, both of my niece and nephew and their comrades" she sighed when Jiroushin made the next move that cost her the queen. 

"All I can do was to make them stay together in the coming life" Kanzeon moved forward, bringing her knight up in front. "Check-mate!" she shoved Jiroushin's King and yelled with triumph. 

Jiroushin grunted and hung his head low. 'I should have known I could not win in chess… chess and Chinese checkers were totally different' 

"No matter how many times they died, I'll make them live again…" Kanzeon anchored her head on her palm and slammed her back to the throne. "After all… I'm the Goddess of Mercy" she smirked devilishly.

"Kanzeon Bosatsu?" Jiroushin rose up to his feet when the kannon-sama stood up and moved toward her lotus pond. 

"I'll make sure that they would never get separated" she whispered as she glanced at the image of Akina healing Nataku in the Toushin Taichi's chamber and to the image of the three sleeping celestials and a boy under the cherry blossom tree. A serene look fell upon her face and she smiled peacefully. 

"Forever…" she added.

To be continue…

**************************** 

Ayie: Ma…ma… Azzie-san, don't feel so down about readers not reviewing your fics. Your fics were not bad at all… trust me darling! Yours were the best… but may be because you've being a little slow in updating your fics and there were no new readers lately, so less people reviewed it. Don't ever give up on your fic… and never ever say it bad. 

Sanzo: Yeah! She's right… I might never agreed with ayie in anything else but this time I have to say she's right… don't be sad Azzie!        Ayie: whispering mode Sanzo was a bit OOC lately… He's feeling a little bit down himself…

Hakkai: also in whispering mode both of them was feeling down… Ayie-san was sad because most of her friends back in the university decided to quit the course and moved to another university… even her best friends could not make it…  Gojyo: She was totally depressed… not only because of her friends but also about something that happened today… trust us her mind were totally unstable right now and Sanzo was not happy of that… neither of us did. 

Ayie: sighed never mind… Azzie-san, please be patient and keep up the good works! Not only to Azzie-san but also to other fanfic writers out there! Good Luck!!! Yosh!

All: Cheers, applause and claps for all FFNet writers Yeah!!! 

A/n: Sorry GS-chan, I haven't found out what's Mary Sue is… ^__^"


	20. The Hour

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Saiyuki characters. They honorably belong to Minekura Sensei. Please don't sue me.

************************** 

Ayie: Sk8er boi… Gojyo would like to say something to you…. Go on Gojyo, say it! nudged Gojyo's side with an elbow

Gojyo: Hai…hai… Gomen nasai Sk8er boi for spelling out your name wrong… Please forgive me! looked at sk8er boi with dreary eyes Gomenn….!!!! wailed out loud with tears showering like a fountain 

Ayie: Oi oi! Don't be too OOC… this is not yourself…Oi!! smacked Gojyo's head with a pillow      Gojyo: ceased crying and sobbed faintly I was just saying sooorryyy… 

Hakkai: Sh…sh… don't cry anymore patted Gojyo's hair as the latter cried on his laps 

Aiko: Yare…yare…everyone was being down these few days…especially Ayie-san, what else can we do? Thanks Sk8er boi for your help…ayie will surely consult to you. It's killing us when Sanzo and Ayie behaved like this…sweat dropped

Goku: Yameru kudasai! I can't stand this… so I'll take my turn to thank all the reviewers and the readers. Arigatou minna!! giggled frantically and bowed Kazo: Hai!! bowed with Goku

*************************** 

**Chapter 20 – The Hour**

Goku's golden orbs rolled upon the sight of the magnificent mansion that towered upon them. He hung his mouth opened as he stared at the mansion that stood before their very eyes. "Sugoi!!" he exclaimed as he gulped saliva down to his throat. There's nothing else to say, as he was totally astounded by the size of the mansion. 

Gojyo whistled and shook his head with amaze.

"Yare…yare…what a waste?" Aiko blinked her eyes several times, trying not to believe what she was seeing. "Life is so twisted…bad guys always happened to be the one with lots and lots of money" she grumbled. 

"That's life" Hakkai claimed as he hopped out the jeep and followed by the rest of the people on board. Immediately the jeep transformed into its biological form. Harkuryu flew up and perched on Hakkai's shoulder. Nimmiku, who had stayed dutifully on jippu's hud, took its place on Aiko's shoulder. 

Aiko smiled nervously. "Nimmi, I'm not sure about letting you coming with us" she rubbed Nimmiku's neck but the latter cried alarmingly as a sign of refusal. The she-dragon nuzzled Aiko's face and let out a pleading coo.

"Demo…" Aiko still rather worried about Nimmiku coming with them into the battle. She feared that the dragon would get hurt.

Nimmiku stretched its neck and pointed her triangular head toward Harkuryu. Aiko followed Nimmiku's gaze and smiled at seeing Harkuryu cooing lovingly to Nimmiku. Aiko turned her gaze at Nimmiku. "You want to be with him don't you?" Nimmiku nodded once and licked Aiko's cheek. That's a yes! "Hai hai!" Aiko surrendered. She chuckled in glee and patted the she-dragon's head adoringly.

Hakkai smiled. 'I guess even Harkuryu and Nimmiku knew about protecting their loved ones'. He rubbed his pet and made Harkuryu looked at him "Harkuryu… you must look after Nimmiku and protect her… I won't be able to help you because I myself have someone I need to protect" Hakkai reminded his little dragon as he glanced at Aiko from the corner of his eyes.

"Kyu!!" Harkuryu blew off tiny flame as if he wanted to show that he was able to protect himself and Nimmiku.

Hakkai smiled. "Yuka idesu!" he chirped merrily. 

Gojyo bewildered at the sight in front of his eyes. 'Life is such a wonder, love always make you strong'. He stepped in between Aiko and Hakkai and flung his shaku jou above his shoulder. He brushed the crimson locks that stuck to his sweaty forehead and pushed it to the back. "Anyone got any plan before we enter the dragon's lair?" 

"Kyu?" Harkuryu and Nimmiku cooed at the words 'dragon's lair' mentioned by Gojyo. 

"Hai hai! Gomen!" Gojyo apologized as he realized that his statement might have insulted the little dragons. Hakkai and Aiko chuckled in glee. 

Sanzo slammed a new barrel of bullets into his Smith and Wessons and cocked his weapon at instant. He was ready to kill.

"Nyibou!" Goku summoned his almighty staff. The staff emerged from nowhere and appeared in between his grip. The young itan twirled the nyibou around before his face, trying to get the proper balance for his grip and when he finally gained it, Goku stop twirling his nyibou and gripped it tightly in his fists. His knuckles turned pale white as he put his full effort to hold nyibou. "I'm still hungry though" he mumbled. 

"Me too!" Kazo echoed soon after. The elders' sweat dropped. The young hanyou took out a pair of katana out from his shirt. The men including Goku gawked at him with surprise when he took out the deadly weapon in the open. "Nanda?" Kazo asked, petrified by the stares. The men looked as if they wanted to gobble him up in a single gulp. 

"Where do you get that?" Gojyo asked, pointing one finger to the katana. The edge of the blades looked so sharp it could pierce and slice anything that it made contact with. Gojyo never remembered Kazo using any weapon in any fights before.

Kazo studied his katana. The blades gleamed under the sun. "This? Otochan gave it to me after I completed my first training in martial arts" He held the katana tight in his grips. He swirled the katana several times, absorbing the comfort and the light feeling in it while he did that. "I never used it until I desperately need it" he whispered. That katana was something for him. His father gave it to him and the one who taught him how to use the weapon was Leon, his best friend.

Sanzo snorted at the remark. 'Desperate huh?' He threw his cigarette butt to the ground. "Here's a great plan" he said. "Just enter the damn house, eliminate the enemies, save the mother and her baby, and get out" 

"As simple as that?" Gojyo lit a cigarette and placed it in between his lips. He looked at Sanzo and smirked. "I can live with that" he said at last, as a sign of approval of Sanzo's 'great plan'.

Hakkai laughed slightly. 'Only if it can be as simple as that'. He looked at Aiko, checking on the girl's condition. Aiko still looked a little weary. She wasn't completely recovered from her last wound. "Have you regained your power?" Hakkai asked. Losing Aiko is a risk he's not willing to take.

By the time Hakkai finished uttering his last word, Aiko had already released a ki-blast toward the door of the mansion. The ki-ball blasted the mahogany door and shattered it into pieces. A big hole was made through it. 

Aiko swung her fist in the air. "Yukata!!" she chirped in triumph and then turned to Hakkai. "Unh… you were saying something Hakkai?" she asked. 

Hakkai's sweat dropped. "Nande monai…" he replied as he waved his hand frantically in front of his face. Aiko raised her shoulders slightly. 

"Oki!" Aiko smiled childishly liked. 

Hakkai slapped his forehead as he chuckled edgily. 'Yare…yare… there's no need for me to worry about her' But later he finds out that he would never be able to stop worrying over Aiko, even when he knew very well that Aiko can protect herself. Aiko's physical strength might be in stable condition but her mind was totally tangling up. 

"Ikkuzo!" Sanzo ordered as he marched into the mansion through the shattered door. Hakkai, Gojyo, Goku, Aiko and Kazo tailed him as he entered the huge main hall.

*************************** 

They halted as they reached the center of the main hall. They stood bewilderedly at the thing they are looking at right now. A big hourglass, as big as Goku and Kazo, was placed in the center of the hall. 

"Nani?" Gojyo was perplexed. He never saw such a big hourglass like the one he's looking at right before his two eyes. 

Goku kicked the hourglass and later hopped around on one toe, yelping with pain. The hourglass didn't moved a bit. It didn't crack either. The glass that made the gadget was definitely solid glass. 

"Why is it here?" Sanzo watched the sand as it passed through the narrow gap and filled the lower section, bit by bit. 

"You got an hour" suddenly a man appeared from behind the hourglass. The ikkou jerked back, astonished by the appearance. When they finally recognized the white haired man as Xiang, the ikkou positioned themselves in fighting modes. Ready for a counter measure. 

"One hour for what?" Hakkai asked as he formed a ki-ball between his fingers. He let the energy from his body flowed down to his hand. The image of Xiang strangling Aiko to close call of death made his blood boiled. It's pay back time. He's ready to let go of the ki-ball any second now. 

Xiang smirked. "One hour to carry out your great plan before Baron get his revenge" he glanced at Sanzo and laughed menacingly. 

"K'so!" Sanzo fumed. He could not stand being ridiculed by his own opponent. He pulled the trigger and sent out a bullet dashing toward Xiang. When the bullet was about to reach his face, Xiang made a hand gesture before him and created an energy barrier. Like before, the bullet was absorbed by the barrier and never did reach its target.

"Ch!" Sanzo snorted, again he wasted his bullet on silly effort.

Hakkai paired up Sanzo's bullet with his ki-ball. The ki-ball penetrated the energy barrier and hit Xiang on the chest. The impact sent Xiang flying to the wall and slammed hard against it. But the white haired man rose up to his feet, staggering to stand upright. He regained his balance and looked up to the ikkou. 

"Damn! The blow didn't affected him a bit" Gojyo hung his mouth opened. The last blow from Hakkai didn't seem to hurt Xiang or even gave him a scar. He swung his shaku jou and sent the scythe dashing toward the white haired man. The scythe almost cut the man's gut if he didn't vaporized in thin air and reappeared on top of the hourglass.  

Xiang crossed his arms before his chest and guffawed hysterically. "Dream on… you would never win over me" he mocked the ikkou, making the latter hissed with anger. Goku fumed over that remark, he jumped up in the air and swiped his nyibou on top of Xiang's head. 

Goku's eyes widened as Xiang blocked his nyibou with his bare arm. Goku caught a glimpse of Xiang smiling devilishly at him. Before he could even blink, Xiang had punched him right on his stomach. Goku jerked several feet away and fell off to the ground. He almost stumbled fiercely to the floor if Gojyo had not caught him. 

Goku jerked away from Gojyo's cradle and wiped the thin crimson line trickling from his mouth. Again, he stood in a fighting position, ready to strike back. When he was about to dash toward Xiang, a tender pat landed on his shoulder. Goku looked up. Aiko stared down at his face with a smile upon her face. 

"Aiko?" 

Aiko shook her head, not allowing Goku to step any further. "Goku, can you see that any physical weapon wouldn't harm him?" Aiko exclaimed. Goku was taken aback. He turned his head and studied Xiang. Aiko was right, neither of the blow from him, Sanzo and Gojyo seemed to affect Xiang. The only weapon that inflicted him was Hakkai's ki-blast. Goku looked at Aiko, waiting for the explanation. 

"The only thing that can harm him is ki energy" Aiko looked up to Xiang. "That's mean you, Sanzo, Gojyo and Kazo can't do anything to outlast him" she reached out a hand and ruffled Goku's hair. Aiko looked at Sanzo. 

"Sanzo, let me deal with him… I alone is enough" she suggested. Goku and Gojyo protested but were stopped abruptly by Aiko's deadly glare. Aiko glanced back to Sanzo. "Sanzo?" she waited for the respond. 

"Stop her Kazo" Goku clung to Kazo's arm. 

Kazo shook his head. "No, she made her decision"

Sanzo grunted. He knew well that Aiko was not in perfect condition to fight in one to one duel. "No" he replied then he glanced at Hakkai. "Not without Hakkai!" Sanzo made a wise decision. 

Aiko turned toward Hakkai. The latter gave a thumb's up. She looked down to her feet and raised her face along with smile on her rosy lips. "Very well then" she agreed. Aiko realized that she alone wouldn't promise victory on their side. Xiang was a better fighter than she is. "You guys better move and save Dai and his mother… we don't have much time left"

"Wakarimashita" Sanzo muttered. "Ikkuzo!" he ran toward the stairs with Gojyo and Kazo tailing behind him. Goku's pace was a little slow as he was not sure of letting Hakkai and Aiko fighting Xiang by themselves. Kazo turned back and dragged Goku with him.

"They'll be fine" Kazo reassured as he glanced at Aiko and Hakkai from the corner of his eyes. After a moment, he looked up to Gojyo and Sanzo, who were up ahead of them. He quickened his gait as he pulled Goku with him. Goku, who soon realized that he was worrying for nothing, hastened his pace and kept up with Kazo. They ran side by side to the next floor, leaving behind them the pair of brunettes. 

********************* 

Aiko walked toward Hakkai and stood next to the emerald-eyed youkai. "Are you sure about this Hakkai?" Aiko wanted confirmation. 

Hakkai smiled. He shoved Harkuryu and Nimmiku away and ordered them to follow Sanzo and the rest to the top floor… or is it the second? Hakkai looked at Aiko. "Unh… you were saying?" Hakkai returned the same words uttered by Aiko before they entered the mansion. 

Aiko chuckled nervously. "Yare…yare…" she could actually understand what Hakkai was trying to do, and it worked. 

"I just wanted to be sure that you'll keep your promise" Hakkai said as he formed a ki-ball in between his palms. He raised a brow and winked. Aiko sighed with disbelief. 'Now I have to live with a weird boyfriend' Aiko shook the thought away and get ready to release a ki-blast.

"Hai hai! What a wise decision of splitting up into groups to save time" Xiang sneered at the two brunettes. "But gomen… you won't be able to join them in the top floor because you'll die in my hand" 

"Not even in your dreams" Hakkai released the ki-ball right toward Xiang. Xiang smirked as he dodged the blast and darted to Hakkai with another ki-blast. He fired the ki and it hit the ground where Hakkai once stood. He looked up as Hakkai appeared from above him and landed a punch on his back. Xiang flinched and landed on both feet on the floor. Before he could even gained his balance, a forceful ki-blast from Aiko hit him right at his back. The blast threw him away from his last standing position. 

Xiang flipped around on the floor and halted right before he slammed to the wall. He kneeled and looked up to the pair with a smile. Hakkai had landed on his feet next to Aiko. The pair once again stood in fighting positions.

Xiang saw something in the brunettes. There was an image of another pair of brunette standing in the very same position. The girl was indeed the same person but the man next to him had a shoulder length but still the same dark hair. "Leon...? Reika…?" he whispered beneath his breath. 

Aiko happened to hear that whispers. She stood at ease and stared at Xiang. "Liamm?" she called softly and waited for the respond. Hakkai looked at Aiko with wonders. Then he looked at Xiang. That man sure looked different from he was before. "Hakkai… it's him" Aiko told him and grabbed his hand. Her hand trembled slightly and her skin was icy cold. 

Hakkai was taken aback when Aiko let go off his hand and headed for the white haired man. "Aiko!" Hakkai tried to stop the girl from going any closer toward their opponent. He darted toward Aiko and blocked her. "We're still not sure if he's Liamm" Hakkai grabbed Aiko by her shoulder. 

"Hakkai! Look out!!" Aiko screamed as she realized that Xiang had finally stood up and released a ki-blast toward them. Her eyes widened at the sight of the deadly blow that was about to hit Hakkai's back. She forcefully shoved Hakkai away and received the blow. 

Hakkai stumbled to the ground. He watched Aiko being jerked several feet away to the back and fell down hard on the floor with a loud thump after the blow hit her slender body. "Aiko!!" he called out as the girl coughed out blood. Aiko lost her consciousness soon after.

The dark haired man dashed toward Aiko and lifted the girl's head to his lap. He quickly healed Aiko with his ki. The girl's wound was not really serious but he had to heal her quick or she would die of shock. The blast knocked her senseless and it would take some time for her to regain consciousness. Hakkai carefully placed Aiko's head to the floor and rose up to his feet. 

Hakkai glared at Xiang as the latter smirked devilishly at him. "She was too soft at heart… one single trick and she had already fallen into the trap" Xiang sneered. 

Hakkai laughed slightly, making the white haired man before him stood dumbfounded. "A trick or is it really you Liamm?" Hakkai jeered at his opponent. "Face it Xiang… that Liamm that you thought was dead still lived inside you and he's emerging to the surface" Hakkai pointed to Xiang's face.

Xiang smiled, but his smile faded away in a matter of a second. 

"Aiko was never wrong about loving someone… and she knew the brother she always loved still there somewhere trying to get free from your body" Hakkai's turn to smile. "And believe it or not, Liamm is winning against you Xiang" he released a ki-blast as the latter was temporarily off guard.  

The ki-blast almost hit Xiang but he dodged the attack by jumping up over the hourglass. From the top of his head, Xiang fired a ki-ball toward Hakkai. Hakkai swerved to the right and darted to the air. Xiang's ki-ball hit the ground instead. The dark haired youkai dashed toward Xiang with a punch that later hit the white haired mutant hard on the jaw. The punch made Xiang jerked back and landed on the ground. Due to his disability to hold back the force of gravity, Hakkai retreat to the ground and stood in his fighting pose.

Xiang was desperate this time. Hakkai's fighting skill was equaled to the man that last won over him. The man with shoulder length dark haired that fought him several months ago back in Tougenkyo. Xiang balanced himself and forced his inner energy to flow down to his palms. His hands gleamed with white beam. Xiang clasped his hand together and released a ki-blast, which later formed into a dragon-liked form. The fiery beam darted toward Hakkai with full speed. 

Hakkai crossed his arms before his face and formed a large ki-blast. He released the ki and it hit the fiery dragon's beam of Xiang's. The forceful beams rammed into each other, resulting in a nuclear-liked explosion that sent Hakkai and Xiang to soar away from the carnage. 

************************* 

Gojyo slammed his fist on the youkai's nose and broke it into pieces. He yanked his shaku jou that wrapped around the opponent's waist, causing the latter's gut to burst out in the open. 

Gojyo rose up to his feet and looked up to his comrades. Each of them had outlasted their opponents. "Any of you get any hint on where they might hid Dai and his mother?" Gojyo called out loud. 

Kazo lashed his katana over his opponent's throat and watched him vaporized into black dust. "Mine couldn't talk" he answered cheekily. 

"Ch!" Sanzo grunted. His usual sign of no… [Though it could be 'yes' sometimes].

"Yosh!" Goku kicked the youkai and bashed him with nyibou. The youkai shattered into pieces and vanished instantly. "I guess I was lucky to fight a very generous youkai…" he chirped. 

Gojyo hissed grimly. He poked Goku hard on the head and the latter yelped in agony. "Spit it out kono baka saru!" Gojyo jeered at the young itan.

"I'm not a saru! Kono ero kappa!!!" Goku kicked the hanyou's leg, making the latter howled painfully. Goku laughed heartily. 

"KACHINK!!" they heard the spirit-ascending gun being cocked and at instant they fell silent. Both of the hanyou and the itan turned over to Sanzo and raised their hands up in the air. Sanzo was pointing his Smith and Wesson at their direction and ready to pull the trigger. 

Sanzo grumbled something and lowered his shoureijuu. "Goku?!" He called out.

"He told me that Dai was held in Baron's chamber at the West Wing and his mother was kept imprisoned in the dungeon at the basement" Goku spat it all out in one breath. He inhaled a deep breath after that. 

"Sou ka!" Sanzo headed for the West Wing and Goku tailed him. 

"Oi Sanzo! We're wasting our time here… you go and find that baby and we'll save the damsel" Gojyo arranged the plan. Sanzo replied with a loud humph.

Gojyo smirked. He grasped Kazo's shirt at the neck and dragged the young hanyou with him. "You come with me" he ordered as the young boy flailed his arms frantically in the air, trying to let go off from the older hanyou's grip. 

The pairs separated at that point with one mission, to complete Sanzo's 'great idea'.

To be continue…

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Ayie: Wou! Finished one fighting chap and several more to go… phew! What a tiring day…I really enjoyed writing this fic especially on Hakkai and Aiko's scene. ^___^  I'm not good in writing romance and fighting scenes… those two are my weaknesses… gomen ne if you find the scenes were too lame ^o^#…

Sanzo: Ch! Stupid writer… how you end up writing anyway? 

Ayie: Nani? dashed toward Sanzo and punched him in the face

Sanzo: Ororo…turned like Himura Kenshee…of Hitokiri Battousai @___@

Ayie: Eh! Azzie-san, you're right about Saito=Sanzo, Himura Kenshee=Hakkai and Sanosuke Sagara=Gojyo….wonder who's Aoshi equal to…? Ah! I know Homura-san!

Homura: escaped from Season in the Sun's fic and whacked Ayie's head that's for comparing me with someone else.

Ayie: Ittai…. Rubbed her head that have serious bump on it

Hakkai: slapped head in disbelief Yare…yare desune… Minna-san, thanks again for reading this fic and double thanks for those who had reviewed. Ayie was feeling a lot better by now… finally. Thanks for all the support ne?

Goku: tugged at Hakkai's sleeve Hata harahetta ne Hakkai….

Gojyo: Ch! Food-brained monkey.


	21. The Bloodshed

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Saiyuki characters. They honorably belong to Minekura Sensei. Please don't sue me.

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Ayie: Yare…yare…someone want me to write another angst fic? He…he…I don't know if I'm really good in expressing those depression scenes. ^__^" What do you think Sanzo, should I write another angst fic? 

Sanzo: No!!! Never!!!              Ayie: Really? laughed cheekily Then, I'll write another angst fic which contains that soooo sad depressing deadly scenes and the main focus is you…ahak…ahak… 

Sanzo: Oi! Are you picking up a fight with me? veins popping out on forehead 

Ayie: Ch! I have no time to fight with you… ba-ka… by the way, thanks GS-chan for the profiterole. I loved profiterole…yum..yum… thanks for being concern GS-chan and Sk8er boi…Arigatou na minna-san!!! smiled merrily I'm feeling a lot better…that's why I loved writing…^__~. Yeeha!! flipped around in glee

Sanzo: Ch! She's going crazy already…            Goku and Kazo: flipped around with Ayie

Gojyo: Thanks to all reviewers and readers… tapped temple with fingers… okay that's all!

Hakkai: That's all? Too simple…failed gives a thumb's down to Gojyo  Gojyo: O__o" 

Aiko: Actually Hakkai is giving a lecture to Gojyo on how to thank all readers and reviewers… looks like he failed again, for the umpteenth times…sighed and shook head in disbelief

*************************** 

**Chapter 21 – The Bloodshed**

"K'so!" Hakkai leaned on his side and propped on one elbow. He held his aching head and shook it frantically. He blinked several times and glanced around him. There's a huge crack in the middle of the hall and a hole upon the dome, result of the explosion from the collision of the two beams. Xiang was staggering to his feet at one corner of the hall. Hakkai rose up and once again stood in fighting mode. The last explosion really made his body ached. Hakkai wiped the thin line of blood at the corner of his mouth. 

Hakkai glimpsed at Aiko from the edge of his eyes and sighed with relief. The explosion did not affect the girl. He ought to be more careful next time, careful not to release any ki energy that might afflict the unconscious girl. Aiko was in no condition to protect herself if there's another huge explosion occurring in close distance to her. Hakkai wished he could form an energy barrier to protect Aiko and at the same time attacking Xiang. But that was beyond his ability.

"That's what make human so weak and useless… they worry too much for their loved ones" Xiang mocked as he formed a ki-ball from his right palm. 

Hakkai absorbed the energy of the universe around him and let it flowed freely in his bloodstreams. He closed his eyes and drank the feeling when the energy arouse from inside him and emerged from his palm. A green beam gleamed in his palm. Hakkai snapped his eyes opened and released the ki-ball toward Xiang. "You were wrong Xiang… I was far from human!!" Hakkai yelled fumingly. 

Xiang screamed as he fired his white beam to Hakkai and at the same time evading the blow from the dark haired youkai. His opponent had leapt away from his position and dodged his ki-blast. "Darn!" he muttered beneath his breath, disappointed at his failure. Xiang was taken aback when he saw Hakkai leaping toward him at full speed from beyond the smoke. 

Xiang was not able to evade the attack in time, making Hakkai's fist slammed hard on his chest. The inner energy of the dark haired's youkai flowed from his fist and it released a blow straight onto Xiang's chest. Xiang was jerked away to the back. His cloth torn into pieces, result from the close distance blow. 

Hakkai landed on his feet and watched the outcome of his blow. Xiang landed fiercely on his back. He flinched for a moment or two and lay motionless a little later. Hakkai stood at ease and stared at the white haired man lying on the floor, several feet ahead of him. 

The emerald-eyed man waited for a few minutes before deciding to check on Xiang. He has to make sure that their enemy was dropped down dead. Hakkai advanced to the motionless body and squatted next to him. He reached out a hand and touched Xiang's neck, checking the man's pulse.

Aiko snapped her eyes opened, revealing a pair of sapphire blue eyes that gleamed brilliantly under the faint light of the sunbeam that penetrated through the hole up in the dome of the mansion. She blinked with tears at the stabbing pain in her eyes as the light shone upon it. 'What…?' Aiko sat up and shook her head, shoving the dizziness in her spinning brain. 

Aiko dazzled as she stared down to her body. Her cloth was pierced and burned, no doubt from a ki-blast. When she finally recalled what had happened right before she was knocked senseless, Aiko stammered. She looked around and found Hakkai squatting down next to unconscious Xiang. Or is he dead? 

Aiko narrowed her eyes down to Xiang's hand as she sensed a slight movement of the white haired man's fingers. Aiko's eyes widened with fear when a crazy thought struck to her mind. "Hakkai!!" Aiko reached out a hand in the two men's direction.

Hakkai startled at his name being called. He looked up to Aiko and smiled with relief. Less he realized that Xiang had opened his eyes and moved his hand. In a blink of an eye, Xiang grabbed him by his neck and held it in tight grip. Hakkai shrugged in pain as he was chocked down at his throat. Xiang's nail pierced into his flesh and crimson liquid trickled down from the wound. The white haired man stood up and lifted Hakkai up in the air until his feet was several feet above the floor.

Aiko staggered up onto her feet and looked at Hakkai being strangled by Xiang with fear. Any moment, with a slight movement of his wrist and fingers, Xiang would have snapped Hakkai's neck and brought that man to his death. "Shit!" Aiko shrugged as she formed a ki-ball in between her long slender fingers. 

Hakkai panted breathlessly. His lungs were out of oxygen and the carbon dioxide was desperately needed to come out. His face turned pale blue and beads of sweat appeared on his icy cold face. He felt like the blood in his veins had stopped flowing and blocking all of his movement into a limit. Hakkai closed his eyes as he saw nothing but black tiny dots dancing before his very face. His eyes turned white.

Aiko was desperate. She had to do something before Hakkai went out of breath. She knew too well that the ki-blast that she intended to fire on Xiang would not afflicted him a bit, and matter could be worse if the impact of her ki-blast hitting Xiang might have made Xiang flinched and accidentally moved the hand gripping Hakkai's neck. That spontaneous reaction would surely result in Hakkai's death. 

Aiko had no choice but to gamble on her own life. She would never let history repeated itself and what happened to Leon once again happened to Hakkai. She could not afford to lose Hakkai like she had lost Leon. Aiko forced all of her energy to flow down to her palm. The beam grew bigger and bigger as it drenched Aiko's power down to the last. When she's finally ready, Aiko fired the pink beam toward Xiang and at the same time she kneeled down to the floor. 

Aiko gathered what was left out of her energy and charged toward the two men, penetrating through her own ki-blast and kicked Xiang on the face. The sudden attack made Xiang's grip on Hakkai's neck loosened and Aiko took that chance to grab Hakkai and made a runaway from the blast.

Xiang, left astounded at the surprise assault, was not aware of the ki-blast darting toward him until it was too late. He gaped at the pink beam that was coming closer to him. He stood motionless as the beam crashed against his chest and sent him soaring up above the air, and landed straight onto the hourglass. 

The impact of the man crashing into it made the hourglass blown up into pieces. Shattered pieces of glass scattered all over the place, piercing every single flesh that it come in contact. 

Aiko parried the darting pieces from coming in contact with her and Hakkai with her bare arms. She flung an arm around Hakkai and dragged him down to the floor, lying on their stomach to prevent the worst damage. The sapphire blue-eyed girl slammed herself onto Hakkai's back. Aiko wrapped her head with one arm and she protected Hakkai's with the other one. She hissed at the piercing pain in her flesh. 

************************ 

The storm of shattered glass stopped a moment later. Aiko lifted her face and looked up to Hakkai. The man still got his eyes closed and his mind dozing off into a state of unconsciousness. Double slashed marks ran over his fair face and blood started to pour down from under the skin. "Hakkai…" Aiko called out of concern. The lack of oxygen might have caused temporary malfunction to his brain and that would lead into a severe injury. Aiko started to fret.  

Aiko sat up and turned Hakkai's body, his chest facing up. There was a shallow hiss in that man's breathing. His torso heaved up and down with slight effort. Hakkai was barely breathing and his pulse is getting slower at pace.

"Hakkai…" Aiko put her hand on Hakkai's forehead. A faint pink light gleamed out of her palm and hovered over Hakkai's head. She forced out her energy to the last drop. She has to save that man. But then, there was not much energy left in her. She had used what was left of her energy to form the last blow on Xiang and there's no more to heal Hakkai. The faint pink light went dimmed after a moment, making Aiko sweating from head to toe. She's losing it!

Finally, the beam ceased. Hakkai is still in coma. Aiko had to save Hakkai by the old way. She opened up Hakkai's mouth and dragged her face closer to his. She took a deep breath and sunk her mouth onto Hakkai as she blew in air into the man's lungs. She disengaged and glanced over to Hakkai's chest. The man's torso heaved up for once and flattened again. 

"K'so!" Aiko cursed with disappointment. Again, she blew in air as she sunk her mouth onto Hakkai's. Still, no sign of Hakkai breathing on his own. "Hakkai…please don't do this to me!" she pled as she lifted her face and started to pushed Hakkai's torso, trying to reactivate his heart. She pushed it several times and clung to Hakkai's cloth when her effort was futile. She wailed out loud.

"Hakkai!!!" Aiko sunk her face to Hakkai's chest. Her tears soaked the man's cloth and the salty drops dripped onto the man's neck. She lifted her drenched face and looked up to dumb Hakkai. His eyes were tightly clamped. Aiko buried her face back to the man's torso. Her shoulders trembled intensely as she tried to hold back the tears and the sadness.

"Aiko?" Suddenly a voice rang before her ears and a cold hand touched her by the face. Aiko looked up and found Hakkai smiling at her, weak but sweet. A wide curl appeared on her lips as she yelped with joy. Aiko hugged Hakkai tight in her embrace. Hakkai chuckled as he wrapped Aiko's with his arms. 

After a moment, Aiko jerked away from Hakkai's arms and blushed. Hakkai stood astounded when the girl looked away from his face. Suddenly, the girl turned to him and punched him hard on the shoulder. "You dared to fret me like that again, I'll kill you on my own!" she yelled but then her tone was more out of relief than anger. 

Hakkai cringed at the pain, making the girl panicked at instant. She quickly turned to his aid and rubbed his aching shoulder. "Gomen" Aiko gulped down the word as her eyes turned dreary. She sobbed faintly in between her breath. Aiko wiped the tears away before they could even trickled down to her cheeks. She didn't even looked up to Hakkai.

Hakkai smiled. Slowly, he pulled the girl back into his arms. He placed his chin on Aiko's head and landed a loving peck into the girl's temple. "Arigatou" he whispered at her ear as he tightened the embrace. 

Aiko voluntarily surrendered herself into Hakkai's embrace. There's no more place she wished to be than in that man's loving embrace. They stayed in each other's arms for a couple of minutes before disengaging. 

Those few minutes without interruption from Gojyo, Goku and Kazo filled their to the heartiest. Hakkai and Aiko stared at each other's faces and conversed through their eyes. Sapphire blue met emerald green before they glanced over to the shattered hourglass. 

Xiang lied motionless in the lower section of the hourglass. He was totally battered by the last blow from Aiko. His body had burnt severely and there's no way he could survive that. Aiko and Hakkai rose up to their feet, but Aiko, being too weak after pushing her energy down to the limit to produce the last blow and to heal Hakkai, fell on her knees. Her knees turned to jelly as soon as she tried to rise up once again. 

Hakkai immediately grabbed Aiko by her waist and helped her to stand upright. He coaxed the girl toward the white haired man. They towered the unconscious man and studied the figure that lied motionless before them. 

"Have I killed him?" Aiko asked, feeling rather guilty that she had to kill her brother-in-law. 

Hakkai dumbfounded. He doesn't know what to answer. The man seemed to be dead but then he spotted slight movement on Xiang chest. The man was still breathing, faintly. "No" Hakkai answered at last.

Aiko sunk down to her feet. She kneeled down next to Xiang and studied the man's face. The man didn't changed too much, except for the hair that had turned white and grew longer than before. Other than that, Xiang is still the same man she ever knew. Aiko sighed. 

Suddenly, Xiang opened his eyelids and peered at Aiko from the corner of his eyes. He reached out one hand and tried to touch the girl's face. 

"Aiko!" Hakkai was being aware of any surprise assault. He was well aware that Xiang would never be able to bring out another assault, but he didn't want to take the risk. But then, he felt calm at sudden when Xiang caressed Aiko's face lovingly and the girl didn't make any effort to break away from the man's touch. "Aiko?" Hakkai's tone had changed. He realized that the look in Xiang's eyes had changed thoroughly.

"It's him" Aiko whispered as she held Xiang's hand tight in her own. "It's Liamm" Aiko explained as she looked down to Xiang's face. The chip must have been damaged when the blow hit him. 

"Reika…?" Xiang, who was now Liamm again, called out with a feeble voice. "Gomen… I killed your sister and I killed your fiancée, now I almost killed you" he apologized. 

Hakkai kneeled down next to Aiko. He put a comforting hand upon the girl's shoulder. The man had finally being himself again, but at the moment when his death is near. The serene look upon Hakkai's face dimmed. 

"Iya!" Aiko cried softly. "It's not your fault" she denied. 

"Nothing can change that Reika… I failed to protect your sister and I killed my own brother, your love one" Liamm insisted that everything happened in that girl's past was his fault. 

Aiko shook her head, making the braid at the back of her head swayed frantically above her shoulders. "It's not your fault Liamm-nee-chan… it's not" Aiko kept denying. No more tears in her eyes, but the look on her face displayed great sorrow. 

Hakkai was stunned. 'Leon and Liamm were brothers?'

Liamm turned his head to Hakkai. A faint smile appeared on his trembling lips. "Hakkai-san, please take care of my sister-in-law for me" he grabbed Hakkai's hand in his own. Hakkai bore much resemblance to his brother Leon, no wonder he kept seeing Leon in that man's feet. It feels like his brother was there next to him. "I know you would love her as much as Leon did… may be more" he whispered. The pain in him prevents him from saying anything much. He moaned at the stabbing pain and flinched. 

Hakkai nodded slightly, making a promise out of the nod. There's a sudden wave of grief emerging from deep inside him. 

Liamm smiled peacefully. "Wakarimashita… I'll be leaving soon, your sister is waiting for me" he said as he looked upon Aiko's face. Then he turned his gaze up, staring at the sky beyond the dome. Leya was smiling down at him, waving out her hand for him. 

"Liamm?" Aiko cried softly as she sensed that she's going to lose him any second now. 

"Sayonara Reika…" Liamm ended that with him closing his eyes forever. His hand slipped away from Aiko's. Aiko hung her head low. 

Hakkai bowed his head as a sign of respect. He glanced up to Aiko. "Daijoubu desuka Aiko?" Hakkai asked worriedly.

Aiko gathered her strength and rose up to her feet. "Daijoubu da yo" she answered a moment later, making Hakkai sighed with relief. She looked down to the man who lied lifeless on the floor. She bowed her head slightly and turned around, heading for the stairs. 

"Aiko" Hakkai stood up and ran after Aiko. 

"We're wasting our time here Hakkai" Aiko said. She glanced at Liamm from the corner of her eyes and smiled. She had finally managed to bring Liamm back into his human self even though the cost was to lose him. 

Hakkai smiled quietly. Deep down inside him, he knew Aiko had kept her promise but then she had also succeeded in her goal. "Ikkuzo!" he said as he grabbed Aiko's hand and they ran side by side to the next floor.

****************************** 

"Ahem!" a voice that sounded so strange put the guards into a halt. They glanced to the dark side of the dungeon, waiting for any possible attack. They brought their spears into parry modes when they saw a dark figure appearing from the dark alley.

Gojyo appeared from behind the edge of the wall and brushed the locks that fell upon his face. An unlit cigarette was stuck in between his lips and he was holding a lighter that gave tiny glint as he stroked the flicker with his thumb. "Ch!" he grunted and looked up to the dumbfounded guard. "Anyone of you got a lighter?" he asked.

The guards, totally astounded by the sudden appearance of the man of crimson hair shook their heads foolishly. 

"No?" Gojyo repeated the replies. He raised his shoulders and said "Well then, it's just not your lucky day". With that, Gojyo swiped his shaku jou and slashed the guards' guts with the blade at the other end of shaku jou. The guards yelled in agony before they vaporized into the still air. Their screams attracted more youkais into the carnage. Gojyo flung his weapon onto his shoulder and smirked at seeing the swarm of youkai that started to crowd the aisle. "Yada yada… won't it be easier if you just hand me the key and let me leave in peace?" Gojyo said sarcastically.

"Why? Are you afraid?" one of the youkai mocked as he grinned idiotically. 

Gojyo brought his shaku jou in parry as the latter youkai tried to bash his head with a sword. The red haired hanyou swiped the shaku jou and sent the youkai dashing to the wall. The youkai crashed hard to the muddy wall and stumbled on his face to the ground with a loud thump. He then shattered into black dust that later vaporized at instant. 

"Yes! I'm afraid…" Gojyo admitted, much to his foes' joy. But then he added with a grin upon his face "I'm afraid that I have to kill you"  Gojyo darted into the swarm of youkai and lashed his opponents with the blade at the end of his deadly weapon. He flipped the blade and sent it spiraling out on the end of its chain. The blade ripped a youkai's chest as it made its way back to its source. Blood splattered across the muddy wall. The green color of the mud mixed with the crimson color of the blood and formed disgusting color of black. 

"Hiyarkh!!!" the yelling sound made Gojyo turned his head around. A youkai charged above his head, bringing down a club with him. "K'so!" Gojyo didn't have time to evade the attack. He flung one arm across his face, preventing the worst damage on his face. A couple of scars are enough. He doesn't need another. 

Before the club could make contact with his face, Gojyo heard a lashing sound, a sound of something slicing fresh flesh. He opened his face as he felt tiny drops of liquid smeared upon his face. A line of crimson liquid streamed down his eyelashes as he snapped his eyes opened. Gojyo moved his arms away and glanced in front of him. 

Kazo hold a thumb's up before he struck at another youkai, slicing the latter's throat with a good use of his katana. Gojyo shrugged. 'Help always came in late'. Gojyo turned around and flung his shaku jou, sending the blade dashing toward a pair of youkais. The chain wrapped around the youkais and later gashed them as he yanked his shaku jou away. 

"Kazo!" Gojyo called out as he brought up his shaku jou to a parry from a youkai's spear as the latter sent his weapon smashing to his gut. The owner of the mentioned name turned his head abruptly to the source of the calling as he lashed another youkai at his face. "Get the key!!" Gojyo ordered. The man dispatched his opponent as he twirled his shaku jou and hurled the youkai away. 

"Hai!" Kazo leapt away from his coming opponent and landed on the latter's head. He smashed the skull of the youkai into pieces as he sent him crashing down to the floor. The youkai shattered into dust and Kazo made his way through the carnage, bringing down several youkai with him as he ran through while he waved his katana frantically in the air. 'They key… the key… where's the key?' Kazo eyed every single youkai, looking for the key.

When he finally spotted the key, clinging at a youkai's waist, Kazo walloped over the latter and sent him stumbling down to the floor. The young hanyou smacked the youkai with the hilt of his katana and grabbed the key. Mercilessly, he swiped his katana and slashed the youkai's throat with a single twist of the weapon. Blood smeared on his hands. _'You could never turn back if you come with me Kazo… would you ever be able to accept the fact that you'll turn into a murderer when you came with me?'_ Aiko's voice rang in his ears. 

"Murderer or not… I just wanted to be with you!" came the answer. 

Kazo lunged away from the dead youkai's body and darted toward the stone prisons. At the second prison, he smelled blood. Human's blood. Kazo narrowed his eyes as he peeked into the dungeon through the steel bars. He saw a dark figure being chained to the wall, limp and weak. Kazo turned around and looked at Gojyo. The elder hanyou was smashing his shaku jou down to his opponent's face and sent the latter to the land of the dead. 

 "I've found her!" Kazo rang as he shoved the key inside the lock. He twisted the key and kicked the bars opened. Kazo smacked a youkai that came dashing to his back with his fist, turned around and kicked him by his gut. The latter bent down at the twang of pain in his abdomen. Kazo went into the dungeon and advanced toward the figure.

"Madame?" Kazo called softly as he went nearer to the woman. The woman with the golden hair lifted her face and looked up to Kazo. At first she cringed at seeing Kazo's hair but later eased down when she realized that the man standing before her was just a boy. 

Yumi narrowed her dreary eyes and studied the boy's face. She never knew this boy. What he's doing down here? "Go away boy… if Baron finds you here, he'll kill you for sure" Yumi warned as she gave a pathetic look to Kazo. Tears trickling down her bruised cheeks. 

"No… we're here to save you and we're going to save your baby too" Kazo reassured as he lashed the shackles with the edge of the blade from his katana. The blade was so sharp that it cut the steel smoothly. Yumi stumbled limply to the floor but was supported by Kazo before she could even reached the ground. "I got you" the hanyou boy said soothingly as he helped Yumi to stand on her feet. 

Yumi glanced down to the boy who was supporting her waist and helping her to walk. "Who are you?" she didn't remember knowing that boy before.

"You left your baby to my sister and Hakkai… so we come here to save you" Kazo explained briefly as he looked up to Yumi's face. The lady was totally battered and bruised.

At instant, the image of the young couple that she met at the market place flashed before her eyes, a girl with her hair in a braid and a young man with a monocle. Yumi smiled weakly. "Sou ka…" she hissed. 'So they took the responsibility of reuniting me and my son'

Yumi stammered at seeing another man entering the dungeon with shaku jou in his grips. "Daijoubu desuka?" he asked as he lent her a helping hand with the walking. 'This is the man that I bumped into when I was chasing after the couple'. Everything is coming back to her now. 

The two half-breeds crutched Yumi to walk out the dungeon. They halted before the shelf of dead bodies right in front the dungeon. Yumi cringed with horror at that sight. She never saw so much bloodshed before. She sunk her face to Gojyo's chest as the latter made a gentle hushing sound, trying to calm her down. 

"Now… let's get you out of here" Gojyo said as they walked out of the basement to the stairs and headed for the next floor. 

*************************** 

Sanzo and Goku studied the huge door that blocked them from the chamber. They looked at each other. 

"Sanzo?" Goku, as usual, waited for Sanzo's order. 

"Ch!" Sanzo turned his gaze away.

"Yukata!" Goku chirped as he brought his nyibou to attack mode. "Now please stand back Sanzo" he said. Sanzo backed away a few steps, pulling Harkuryu and Nimmiku's tails with him as he did so. The two little dragons cooed alarmingly at being pulled like that and flapped their wings frantically.

Goku darted toward the door and lunged in the air, bringing down nyibou and crashed the door opened. He landed steadily on his feet, a few steps inside the chamber. Goku rose up and glanced around the chamber. 

Sanzo entered the chamber a little later, with Harkuryu and Nimmiku hovering over his head. They stared at the baby curling up in the large energy barrier at the center of the chamber.

"Ma…ma… what a pleasure to have you here" the husky voice made Sanzo and Goku turned instantly at the throne beyond the energy barrier. A youkai with grey hair was sitting at the throne, smirking at them. Baron!

"I give you two choices… die instantly or suffer before you die" Sanzo slammed the bullets into the barrel and cocked the shoureijuu. He glared at Baron from the corner of his eyes and pointed the shoureijuu toward the youkai's leader. 

Baron laughed menacingly at that remark. He looked at Sanzo when he ceased laughing. "I don't need to choose anything because the one to die here is not me… but it's going to be you and your friend" Baron mocked as he rose up to his feet and walked down from his throne.

"Ch!" Sanzo pulled the trigger and the bullet penetrated the air with great speed. It hit the target right on his chest. 

Baron jerked back slightly and stared at Sanzo as he steadied himself. Sanzo's eyes widened as he realized that the bullet didn't gave any effect to Baron. There's a slight burn on the youkai's chest but the bullet didn't hurt him a bit. Sanzo glanced at the bullet that had fell on the floor and looked back to Baron. Beyond the shirt that he's wearing, Sanzo could see the armor beneath. 

"K'so" Sanzo cursed slightly as the youkai darted toward him with a sword in hand. 

To be continue…

**************************** 

Ayie: Sankyu Sk8er boi for the tips on how to deal with depressions… it helped a lot. I wrote something when I'm sad and it helped to chase the depressions away…Thank you!! 

Gojyo: Sorry for being OOC in the last few chaps… er…Sk8er boi…you mentioned before that you are a she…smirked would you care for a date with me? winked

Goku: Kono ero kappa!!! kicked Gojyo's leg…er…Sk8er boi-chan, do you know how to cook? Can you cook for me?…Looked at Sk8er boi with puppy look 

Gojyo: Oi! Baka saru… I was going to ask her out first… shoo! whacked Goku's head

Hakkai: Tsk! Tsk! Tsk! Gomen for that Sk8er boi-san… they are being naughty again. O__^"….Sanzo, it's your turn to thank all readers and reviewers. 

Sanzo: Ch! Thanks!!

Hakkai: slapped head in disbelief…yare…yare… sweat dropped 


	22. The Baron

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Saiyuki characters. They honorably belong to Minekura Sensei. Please don't sue me.

************************** 

Ayie: Wah! GS-chan… I don't know you're feeling down right now -__-…I was wondering about you. Daijoubu desuka GS-chan? What happened? Goku, say something to make her feel better…

Goku: Hai hai! GS-nee-chan, are you sick? Here…here… have some chocolate profiteroles, Ayie-nee-chan baked it just for you… she learnt how to make a profiterole since she knows you ^__^…

Sanzo: I strongly urged you not to eat it or you'll end up having food poisoning…

Ayie: smacks Sanzo's head with a rolled newspaper…Baka namaguza bouzu! Chibi Sanzo… sorry for eating your profiterole, here have a chocolate sundae…gives chocolate sundae to Chibi Sanzo can you please tell GS-chan to mail me her e-mail address… I don't want her to be sad and all alone…tell her to mail me at hairi_war@yahoo.com. Please do so! ASAP!

Aiko: Okay! I guess it's my turn to do the thanks-to-all-readers-and-reviewers chore ^_^. We would like to say Arigatou to those who had reviewed and actually read this fic… GS-chan, Arista Niara, Sk8er boi, …kuroi-nekokun, Azzie, Rinrei, Saiyuki freak, Frei, tuthakkai, Lady Lanyara Artemisan, Prozact Addict, Imaginator, UltraM2000, Gallatica, CFTA Crissania, blackrose, and animegurl… I don't know if you guys still reading this fic…but millions of thanks from all of us. smiles happily Minna-san, please tell us if you like this fic or you find it sucks coz Ayie is still thinking about writing a sequel… if she found this fic entertaining, she'll write it for sure…if it's the other way around… you know how it'll turn out…either way…Arigatou minna-san!!

********************************* 

**Chapter 22 – The Baron**

"Ch!" 

Sanzo cursed while bringing up his shoureijuu onto parry, blocking the sword as he did so. He sent a deadly glare straight into Baron's eyes. He drained out his mightiest effort and forcefully pushed Baron away from him. 

Baron smirked. Without warning, Goku came darting toward him with nyibou held up high in a bashing mode. Baron's eyes widened at that attack. Goku was fast and furious. His movement was so swift that Baron could hardly see where's the boy's actual position. With the blink of an eye, Goku's nyibou smashed him hard on his head. 

The grey-haired youkai received continous blows from the itan and he was not able to evade it. The blows came too fast and too quick, immobilizing him from any movement that could help him block the attack. 

Finally, he had a chance to counter attack when Goku stopped smashing him with the nyibou. He held his aching chest, coughing out blood as he tried to hold back the stabbing pain that crawled up to his upper body. He looked up to the brown haired itan. Goku was too strong for him. He would not be able to outlast this enemy. 

'I guess I had no choice'. Baron's hand crept up to his neck, grabbing the necklace that served as the yoryukou limiter. He yanked the necklace away and tossed it aside. 

Sanzo's eyes widened at that sight. Baron is changing into his original form. The beast is starting to emerge from inside the youkai's leader. "Goku! Look out!" he warned. 

Goku eyes rolled at Baron. The youkai's ears sharpened and his eyes narrowed. His muscles started to grow and his body shivered. Numerous veins popped out from his muscles. The fangs lengthened and pointed with sharp ends. At the final state of his transformation, Baron howled out aloud fiercely. His howls sounded like the wolf howling to the moon, sending the creepy feelings up his opponents' necks. 

"Sugee!!!" Goku exclaimed. When he first fought Baron, he thought there's no thrill at all in fighting him because the man wasn't able to react fast enough. Now, the beast who stood right before him looked more like fighter and that makes his heart jumped with excitement.

Sanzo hissed at hearing Goku's remark. "Ba-ka!" he muttered as he lit up a cigarette and smoked. 'Let the saru does all the works' He leaned against the wall and crossed his arms before his chest. The blond monk puffed out smokes and shook his head at seeing Baron's original form. 

"Ch!" his usual line. 

Goku stared at Baron. The youkai stared at him like he could swallow him down in one gulp. His red eyes rolled down and up, studying Goku as he did so. Saliva drooled from his out sticking tongue, dripping to the floor. He licked his lips as he looked at Goku, as if he's enjoying his last meal. 

'Wait?!' Goku was astounded. He turned his head and glanced over his shoulder, looking at Sanzo. "Sanzo, do you think he's a man eater?" he asked. 

Sanzo studied Baron's face. Giving a hand gesture, he says "Probably… don't worry he could only chew your arms because the rest of your other part was rough" Sanzo said in a sneer. It's a good entertainment though, seeing Goku being chewed to his bone by the youkai. 

Goku sweat dropped. He pouted at Sanzo's sneer. "Ch! You are so mean!" he glanced back to Baron, but the latter was nowhere in sight. 'Where did he goes?' Goku looked up as he heard a whooshing sound above his head. He gaped at the sight of evil Baron bashing his sword to his head. 

Goku brought up his nyibou just in time to block the sword from piercing his skull into two halves. Goku held up one foot and kicked the youkai hard on his groin. The youkai jerked away from him and groaned at the pain in his sensitive part. 

"Sansetsukon!!!" Goku cried aloud, summoning for his three jointed sticks. Out of the blue, the nyibou transformed itself into three jointed sticks, joined together by chains. He swung the sansetsukon and darted toward Baron as the latter dashed toward him with his sword intended to crush his opponent.

Goku leapt up into the air and swiped sansetsukon onto the sword, wrapping the latter with the chains. The chains made a whirling sound as it twirled around the sword and locked it in a deadly grip. Goku yanked the sword away from Baron's hand and tossed it to the floor, several meters away from the battlefield.

Baron was left disarmed. He bewildered at realizing that he had lost his only weapon. Within seconds, a punch landed on his face, courtesy of Goku's fist. He staggered on his feet, wincing at the pain in his nose. He cupped his nose and hissed painfully. 

Goku pulled himself away from Baron and landed on the floor with a loud thud. He regained his balance and stood again in a fighting mode. He summoned his nyibou right after he steadied himself. The sansetsukon vanished and was replaced by the almighty nyibou. Goku tightened his grip around nyibou and absorbed the feeling of power from his one and only weapon, which had never failed him before. 

The evil Baron swept the blood pouring from his nose with the back of his arm and looked up to Goku. He hadn't had the chance to beat Goku even in his true form. 'This kid is way too strong for him' 

He must do something to outlast this one opponent and he has to do it quick. Baron leered his eyes around and finally spotted the monk leaning against the wall. He glanced back to Goku and realized something. He smirked. 'How can I be so blind?' He now realizes that Goku never get his eyes off Sanzo. It seems like the kid was protecting Sanzo while he's fighting. 

Baron laughed heartily and suddenly vaporized into thin air. Goku was left astounded. He looked around, searching for the latter and finally sensed Baron at his back. Goku spun around and spotted Baron teleporting in next to Sanzo. 

Sanzo was taken aback by the sudden appearance. He held up his shoureijuu but Baron acted faster than him. The youkai smacked the gun away from the monk's hand and caught the latter by his neck. He twisted his arm and locked Sanzo's neck in a deadly grip. He used Sanzo as a human shield, shielding him from Goku. 

Goku halted. His intention to attack Baron disappeared at seeing Sanzo being held like that. Any slight movement of him will cause Baron to snap Sanzo's neck and the monk's bone will crash with it. 

Sanzo's breath is getting harsher and shorter. He's losing his breath. The blond man struggled fiercely to set free but Baron's arm is twice as big as his combined together. Harkuryuu and Nimmiku tried to help. They blew off flame into Baron's back but the latter's armor prevented the heat from burning his skin. The youkai didn't flinch a bit and it made matter worst. 

With one single gesture of his hand, Baron smacked the little dragons away. The latter two soared away from the carnage and slammed hard to the wall. Both Harkuryuu and Nimmiku descended to the floor with a thump. They cooed helplessly at each other. 

"Harkuryuu! Nimmi!" Goku called out for the poor little dragons. He looked at the dragons for a while and turned his gaze back to Sanzo and Baron.

"K'so!" Sanzo muttered his breath. He yanked one arm to the front and brought it back to his side with all his might. His elbow hit Baron right at his gut. The sudden pain in his abdomen caused Baron to loose the grip on Sanzo's neck. The youkai leader backed away a few steps, releasing Sanzo and cringed at the pain with grimace. Sanzo was not satisfied. He turned around and kicked the latter at his face, causing Baron to spit out fresh blood. The monk attacked continuously, giving one blow after another with his bare arms. He punched. He kicked. He slapped. He smashed the youkai with his feet. He whacked the opponent with the harisen. [O_o"?] 

Goku jaw dropped at seeing Sanzo beating the youkai to death. 'He must have been really annoyed at being used as a bait like that' He shook his head with disbelief and rubbed his eyes, as if making sure that he's watching it right. 

The last blow from Sanzo caused Baron to land furiously on his back, to the floor. He propped on one elbow and wiped the thin line of blood trickling down his chin. The evil youkai stood up and gained his balance. He swung his hands in circular motion and chanted something from beneath his breath. He closed his eyes, crawling deeper into his meditation as he did so. 

"Sanzo, watch out!" Goku warned as he realized the gray haired youkai's intention. 

Sanzo was taken aback. He looked at Baron. He could finish the youkai with maten kyumou and makai tenjo. But then, he's risking Goku and the little dragons to death by using it. After all, he didn't have much time left.

Baron snapped his eyes opened as he completed his chant. Huge aura emerged from his body and fiery beams flowed down to his hands. He clasped his hands together and released a large ki-beam toward Sanzo and Goku. The beam moved so fast that the latter two didn't have time to evade the blow. 

***************************

Both Sanzo and Goku closed their eyes and covered their face, preventing the worst possible damage. But the blow didn't reach them after few moments. They snapped their eyes opened and were astonished to see huge energy barrier protecting them from the blow. They gaped at the sight of the pink and green barriers joining together, forming large hues of pink and green all over the chamber. The barriers protected them from the fiery beam released by Baron.  

"Hakkai! Aiko!" Goku yelped in joy at seeing the brunettes stood before them, forming large barriers with their kis. Both of them must have outlasted Xiang. They looked terribly weary and feeble, especially Aiko. The pink barrier was fading away slowly. She must have been badly battered in their last battle.

The joined kis were able to vanquish the fiery beams and returned it to the owner. The beam hit the gray haired youkai and sent him soaring up to the sky. The blow caused his armor to shatter into pieces and torn his cloth apart, revealing him bare-chested. 

Aiko sunk to her knees. She had used all of her ki to form the barrier. She knew to well that Hakkai's barrier would not be able to parry them as Hakkai himself is weakening. Hakkai ran to Aiko, glancing over Sanzo and Goku while he darted toward the girl. The latter two got the clue. The emerald-eyed man handed the job to vanish their enemy to them. 

'It's okay! You two already did so much' Sanzo picked up his shoureijuu from the floor. He cocked the gun and pointed it to the youkai. He blasted a bullet and it went through the youkai's chest.

Goku on the other hand, hopped on his toes and leapt up into the air, bringing nyibou into good use. He swung the nyibou on top of his head and bashed the totally battered youkai straight and hard on his face. There's crack noise, signaling that the youkai's jaw was crushed. Baron howled with agony. Blood splattered from his mouth as he landed furiously to the floor and again cracked one elbow. 

Without mercy, Sanzo blasted another bullet of his shoureijuu and sent it penetrating the youkai's skull. With that blast, the youkai vanished and then vaporized into thin air. 

As soon as the black dust disappeared in the air, the door of the chamber was spread opened. Sanzo, Goku and Hakkai looked up to the door.

************************** 

Gojyo, Kazo and Yumi dumbfounded at seeing Baron vanquishing into the still air. They looked around. 

"Arara! I missed all the fun ne?" Gojyo sneered as he entered the chamber, crouching Yumi to her feet with the help of Kazo. 

"You're late ero kappa" Goku jeered. 

"K'so! Wait till I get to you later kono baka saru!" Gojyo replied, sticking out his tongue at the corner of his mouth. 

"Yare yare desune!" Hakkai shook his head with disbelief. He looked down to Aiko. The girl was coming around. She rose up and shook her head hastily. Hakkai sighed with relief. 'She's okay!'. For a moment, he thought Aiko was dropped down dead. He brushed a lock of raven black on Aiko's face and landed a soft loving peck on the latter's forehead. "Daijoubu desuka ne Aiko?" he asked when he lifted his face from Aiko's face.

Aiko smiled sweetly. "Hai!" she chirped, almost singing. But the truth is she' bluffing. 

Hakkai smiled. 'Okay… he's not blushing anymore and neither did Aiko'

"Yada yada… I see we've got a lot of improvement here" Gojyo smirked at seeing Hakkai was being less embarrassed to show his affection toward Aiko and the latter was not blushing when she received it. 'That's an improvement right?'

Yumi nudged Gojyo's side with her elbow, soft but alarmingly. "Let them be" she whispered. She almost forgotten the real feeling of loving someone when she lost her beloved husband but now she's getting it all back at seeing the two brunettes in love. 

"Ch!" Sanzo grunted. Now what? He's getting Hakkai as his not official brother-in-law? Having Aiko as a sister by oath is one problem and now having Hakkai as brother by bond is going to be total disaster. He could never win over Hakkai or Reika, now combined them together, he would definitely lose for his entire life.

"Keiro!" Yumi cried out, looking at her baby in the energy barrier. She darted toward the barrier and entered it with haste. The energy barrier seemed to drain out all of her energy but Yumi ignored her feeling of weakness and grabbed her baby at instant.

Yumi came out from the barrier with the baby in her cradle. She rapidly planted numerous kisses on her son's face. Tears trickled down her face as she kissed Dai lovingly. 

Aiko, Hakkai, Kazo, Goku and Gojyo watched the scene with a serene look fell upon their faces. 'Don't ever separate a baby from his mother'. Thin smiles appeared on their bruised and bumped faces. Sanzo on the other hand, just turned his gaze away.

Suddenly, the floor beneath their feet grumbled and the ceiling above the heads shook violently. The world around them started to rumble furiously. They staggered on their feet, gaining the balance. The whole roof is starting to collapse on their heads.

"K'so!" Sanzo cursed again. Yumi entering the barrier was a terrible mistake. Baron must have cast some kind of spell to prevent anyone entering the barrier even though when he's dead. 'This man doesn't know how to give up'

"Shit!" Gojyo swore. Baron intended to kill them and he's doing it even when he's dead. "Ano baka!" he muttered as he smacked a crumble from the ceiling falling on his head with his shaku jou. The ceiling shattered into pieces and started to fall down on their heads. 

"We have to get out of here!" Hakkai reminded as he helped Aiko to rise up to her feet. He hovered one arm across Aiko's head and protected her from the falling ceiling. The girl clung to his waist, tight and secured. She was totally weak and feeble, and Hakkai could not ignore that fact. He must get her out of the mansion fast!

The rest of the ikkou scampered out of the chamber. The whole mansion was falling on them and it's falling fast!

The emerald-eyed man looked around the chamber, looking for something as he made a runaway through the door. Sanzo, Goku, Kazo, Gojyo, Yumi and Dai were far ahead of them. "Harkuryuu! Nimmiku!" he called when he spotted the two little dragons at the corner of the chamber. The little dragons flew toward him and perched on both of his shoulders. 

"Harkuryuu! I need you to transform now!" Hakkai ordered as he lifted Aiko into his cradle, much to Aiko's protest. 

"Hakkai… I can walk…" She said, almost whispering. Hakkai knew it better that Aiko was too weak to walk. She would only slowed down their paces and at the same time endangering her own life. Hakkai glanced down to Aiko. The sapphire blue-eyed girl is dozing off into a state of unconsciousness again. He had no time to heal her with his ki.

"Kyu!!" Harkuryuu cooed once before transforming into a green jeep. Nimmiku flew down from Hakkai's shoulder and perched on the windshield of the jeep. 

Hakkai settled Aiko down at Sanzo's seat and he himself hopped in to the driver's seat. Quickly, he switched on the ignition and stirred the gear. He stepped on the accelerator and drove jippu away from the crumbling chamber. He flung an arm around Aiko's shoulder and pulled the girl so she would lean against his body. He put his arm on top of Aiko's head, preventing the falling roof from hitting her. 

Hakkai steered the steering wheel hastily, avoiding the jeep from knocking with the falling walls and ceilings. He slowed down his jeep, picking up Sanzo, Goku, Kazo, Yumi, Gojyo and Dai without putting the jeep into a halt. There's no more time to waste. 

Sanzo hopped into the frontseat when Hakkai made a hand gesture, signaling him to do so. He quickly understood at seeing Aiko nestling in Hakkai's protective arm, as she sunk into a stream of unconsciousness. Sanzo pulled Aiko into his arms and took over the task of protecting that girl from Hakkai. Hakkai moved his arm away from Aiko shoulder when he was sure Aiko was safely protected and put it on the steering wheel. He needs both hands on the steering wheel, considering on the road they were going through was totally rough. 

Gojyo reached out a hand for Yumi and the latter took it in her own. He pulled her and lifted her up into the backseat. Then, he himself hopped in the jeep, settling beside Yumi and her baby. 

Goku and Kazo looked at each other and then smiled. This is the time to play. They hopped around and jumped from the crumbling wall into another and finally jumped into the jeep. 

Hakkai smiled as he swerved the jeep frantically to the left and then to the right. 'Okay, the jeep was over crowded…'. Hakkai patted the steering wheel. "Harkuryuu, I know this is too heavy for you but please hang on" he whispered. 

"Kyu! Kyu!" loud assuring coos emerged from beyond the engine of the green jeep. Nimmiku nuzzled the windshield and cooed lovingly, as if she was saying 'I know you can do this honey'

Hakkai smiled in glee. They reached the stairs. Hakkai stirred the gear and stepped on the accelerator with full force. Jippu went down the stairs, shaking fiercely as it did so. The passengers on board shook tremendously. They held tight to each other, fearing that they would get thrown off board if they let go. 

Finally jippu came at the end of the stairs. Right after the reach the ground floor, the stairs behind them crumble to the ground. Bit by bit, they could see the darkening sky above their heads as the roof was making its way down to the earth. The mansion was crushing its way to flat. 

Hakkai drove them out of the mansion just in time before it flattened to mother earth. Jippu screeched, swerved madly to the right and turned back with a halt when Hakkai twirled the steering wheel and stepped on the brake. They halted right before where they started, in front of the mansion. 

The ikkou, together with their rescue target stared at the collapsing mansion. The mansion didn't take too long to get flat. It brought down everything with it and buried them together with it.

"Everyone all right?" Hakkai asked, glancing at the back. 

"Yep! Safe and sound!" Gojyo gave a thumb's up. Hakkai retreated his gaze to the passengers next to him. Aiko was still unconscious but there's nothing to worry about. She'll take a few days of recovering but she'll be fine. 

"Harahetta…" there were moans emerging from the backseat.

Hakkai sweat dropped. Sanzo's hand itched for the harisen but then he was holding Aiko and that prevented him from reaching for his paper fan.

"Daijoubu da yo minna-san… we'll get bed and breakfast soon!" Again, Hakkai stepped on the accelerator and then stirred the gear. He drove the jeep away from the battlefield and headed right back into the woods. Deep down inside, he prayed silently for the souls of the dead ones. 

The daylight was slowly fading away as it was replaced by the afterglow. The red orb submerged in the west, giving way for the darkness of the night to take over the shift.

To be continue….  
  


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Ayie: Wah! This fic is getting nearer to the end… may be I'll end it in the next chap or may be after two more… I'm a bit relief but then I'm terribly sad. Tell me dear readers and reviewers… how do you want me to end this fic? It's not that I'll entirely follow your suggestions but then may be your idea could enhance the fic…who knows? ^__^ 

Sanzo: On one condition… don't get me crying at the end of this fic… I'll kill ya!

Ayie: Ch! Urusai! Well, let me know soon… thanks again for all the supports and encouragement… and tell me should I carry on with the plan for a sequel?

Gojyo: Ayie, shut up and save that question for the last chap!

Ayie: :P… Gomen!


	23. The Parting

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Saiyuki characters. They honorably belong to Minekura Sensei. Please don't sue me.

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Ayie: GS-chan…how are you feeling right now?  I hope you're feeling better…don't be sad. You make me sad too…after all right now this fic is nearing its end. Wah! I am relief but then I'm sad too…because this is my fav fic. Gomen! 

Hakkai: daijoubu da yo minna-san… this fic is ending but then ayie-san got a lot more fic coming and she already got a plan for a sequel…but that depends on readers' responds. After this, she'll be away from home and perhaps she'll be having difficulties on updating her fics… but she'll still be loyal to FFNet. And we'll be helping her since we're also going away with her… 

Gojyo: She forced everybody to go with her… and I happened to have this creepy feeling about boarding airplane…Gosh! shivers violently                    

Goku and Kazo: Fly? Airplane? Sugoii!!!!

Sanzo: Ch! Ba-ka…                 

Aiko: giggled gleefully Ayie-san said that she'll write and finish another fic before going away… we haven't got a clue about it but she says it's a fic on Gojyo…mainly and there will be a lot of OOCs in it…mostly Sanzo and Goku…gee…

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**Chapter 23 – The Parting**

Aiko snapped her eyes opened and blinked with tears when the sunlight that penetrated through the window pricked her eyelids. She tried moving her hands and lifted it before her face. Aiko studied her hands and glanced to her side. 

She smiled at seeing her lover sitting by her bedside. The dark haired man was dozing off to sleep, anchoring his face on his palm and snored quietly beneath his breath. Aiko chuckled softly when Hakkai's head fell off from his palm and he quickly anchored it again. It was obvious that the man was fighting sleep. 

Aiko stirred softly on the bed, trying hard not to wake the sleeping man. She propped on one elbow and pushed herself to lie on one side. The girl then stood staring at the emerald-eyed man with a slight curl upon her rosy lips. She leaned her head on one hand and studied the man's face. Serenity falls upon Hakkai's face when he's sleeping and Aiko just loved the way he looked at that time. 'I love this man…' 

Hakkai must have healed her and stayed by her bedside at all time that he could not stayed awake anymore. Aiko shook her head slightly, amused at the man's concern upon her. But she could not blame him. She would the same thing if it was Hakkai in her place. 

Aiko looked down to her body. Her body was all bandaged and wrapped with cotton strips. Suddenly her sapphire blue eyes widened at seeing something on her body, under the blanket.

Her torso was wrapped up with cotton bandage and she would be naked from head to waist if it not for the bandage. She jerked awake and screamed heartily. The man by her bedside opened his eyes at sudden and turned to her aid immediately. 

"Who…who…did…this?!" the girl stuttered as she pulled her blanket and covered her chest. She looked bewilderedly at Hakkai, stunned at the thought that flashed in her mind. Her face turned white pale and it seemed like her blood was all drained up. 

"Nanda?" Hakkai asked, worriedly. He still doesn't have any idea of what Aiko was trying to say. He looked at the girl with wonder and concern flickered in his emerald green eyes. 

"Hakkai… are you the one who did this?" Aiko opened up the blanket and quickly covered it again after she revealed her bandaged chest, enough for Hakkai to catch a quick glimpse. Hakkai smiled edgily at realizing the cause for Aiko being so shock.

"Gomen… but no one else knew how to do it properly" Hakkai replied, trying not to be so straight. His face flushed red with embarrassment. He chuckled slightly as he rubbed the back of his head. 

Last night was the most embarrassing moment for him. The task of bandaging Aiko's wounds was so difficult, especially when it came to the part of treating the wound on her chest. Lucky for him Aiko was totally dozed off or else the task would be even harder. It was years since he last touched a girl's tender skin and Hakkai had forgotten how it really felt.

Aiko blushed severely at hearing the reply. She looked away from Hakkai with a crimson flushes on both of her cheeks. She felt like the blood from all over her body rushed up to her face. It may sound so weird but no man ever saw her half naked before, even Leon didn't have the chance.

"Gomen nasai… I don't mean to do that but the wound on your chest needed to be healed fast!" Hakkai started to feel guilty. The look on that girl's face clearly showed that she was never touched before. But he never intended to be the first man to ever do that. God knows how hard he tried not to look and at the same time not to touch anything. But then… Hakkai sighed. He hung his head low, not even dare to look at Aiko.

 "It's okay…" the reply came with a soft whisper. Hakkai lifted his head and looked at Aiko. The girl didn't turn her face to him but her lips moved slightly, uttering the last word for the second time. "It's okay…" it came again. 

Hakkai almost yelped with joy. He was forgiven and that's a relief. The emerald-eyed man took the girl's hand in his and clutched it tight. Hakkai looked straight into Aiko's deep blue eyes and smiled. "I'll be responsible for it…" he said, soothingly as he kissed the girl's hand tenderly.

Aiko stood silent at the remark. She was touched at heart. Without wasting anymore time, the girl flung her arms around Hakkai neck and sunk herself into the man's embrace. Hakkai was astounded. His body went stiffed but soon relaxed as a smile flickered upon his lips. 

Hakkai's arms crept on the girl's waist and he pulled her softly to him, hugging her tight as he did so. He locked the girl's body in his embrace, as if he doesn't want to let go off her. He sunk his face into Aiko's silky soft hair and snuggled the girl's neck. "I loved you…" he finally says the magic words.

Aiko smiled at hearing the words. Her arms around Hakkai's neck tightened and they fell into each other warmth. 

"Ahem!" an alarming cough made the pair disengaged abruptly. They looked at the door and found Yumi standing with her back facing them. Aiko and Hakkai let go off each other and stood dumbfounded, pretending like nothing happened. 

"Yumi-san!" Aiko called with a merry tone. There was still a tiny flush of red on her cheeks but then they faded away slowly. Hakkai handed Aiko a shirt and she hastily put it on. 

Yumi turned around and smiled edgily. She bowed slightly. "Sumimasen… looks like I came in at the wrong time" she apologized. How could she forget to knock before she enters the room to send some food for Hakkai and Aiko? "Have something to eat" she said as she put the trail she's holding on the table next to Aiko's bed. 

"Yare…yare… gomen for troubling you" Hakkai chuckled nervously. Actually, he was feeling so embarrassed at this time that he felt like fleeting away at instant. Luckily it's not Gojyo in Yumi's place or else matter would have been worst. 

"Daijoubu da yo… this is the least I could do to return your favor of saving me and Keiro" Yumi smiled heartily. The pair of brunettes had changed a lot since their first meeting. "Enjoy your meal" Yumi bowed again and headed for the door. 

Suddenly, the young mother with the golden hair turned around and smiled. "Aiko-san, your shirt was too baggy for you" with that she closed the door softly behind her.

Aiko looked down to her shirt, the one Hakkai had hand to her when Yumi entered the room. The shirt WAS too baggy for her. It's not her size. Aiko looked at Hakkai.

Hakkai laughed guiltily. "Arara… that's my shirt!" he chirped, rubbing the back of his head with one hand. 

Aiko sweat dropped and slapped her forehead with disbelief.

***************************** 

They entered the room side by side. Aiko and Hakkai glanced around. 

"Ohaiyo minna" they greeted their companions. 

"Ohaiyo Hakkai, Aiko!" Goku and Kazo chirped merrily. They turned to look at Hakkai and Aiko and then returned their playful attention to Dai or Keiro. The baby crawled up on his knees and arms and headed toward the young itan and young half-breed. He babbled in glee as he crawled over to Hakkai and Aiko. 

The girl was the first to bent down and picked the baby up in her cradle. She could not help feeling motherly liked at seeing the cute little being. Hakkai smiled. 'Would it be nice if she's holding our baby in her cradle? Huh?' Hakkai shook the thought away. It was too early to think of marriage, way too early. 

Gojyo, lying on the floor and counting the scar on his arms smirked devilishly. He propped his head on one hand and leaned on his side, looking at Aiko and Hakkai. "Have you guys settled together in be…" Gojyo chewed the last word up when he heard a click from the back of his neck. It was well known that the click happened to be from shoureijuu being cocked at a deft movement of Sanzo's fingers. 

The redheaded man looked over his shoulder and found Sanzo pointing the spirit-ascending gun to the back of his head. The monk just need to pull the trigger and his head would blow up into pieces of fresh flesh. He raised his arms, surrendering. Slowly, the gun was retreated from his head. Gojyo sighed with relief. 

Goku and Kazo darted toward the brunettes and tugged at the elders' sleeves. Hakkai and Aiko looked down to the over excited boys. "Nanda?" Aiko asked, perplexed with the latter's excitement.

"Have you made a baby with Hakkai?" Goku looked up to Aiko with puppy look. The innocence was clearly shown in the glimmering golden orbs of his. 

Yumi blushed and chuckled nervously at hearing the question from the naïve boy. Sanzo sweat dropped and then turned his gaze away to the window with tiny flushes of red on his cheeks. Gojyo laughed heartily, slapping his tight hard as he laughed his heart out. The redheaded kappa rolled on the floor, amused by the question. 

Hakkai and Aiko suffered the worst. Their faces were so red it matched the color on Gojyo's hair. Their ears seemed to puff out smokes due to the embarrassment. Aiko hid her blushing face onto Dai's back. Hakkai chuckled slightly, out of nervousness. 

Kazo tugged at Hakkai's sleeve and pulled the guy's arm with all his might. "Are you going to have a baby of your own…?" he asked, not knowing what the question might do to the latter guy. 

Hakkai shook his head hastily. He felt his face turned so hot that he badly needs to sink his whole head into a basin full of icy cold water. 

Sanzo could not hold this anymore. Even he blushed from the young boys' stupid questions. He grabbed his harisen that was placed next to Harkuryuu and Nimmiku and whacked Goku and Kazo's head with all his might. 

"URUSEI!!!" that's the third time he yelled for today. The victims of his whacks of wisdom stumbled head over heels to the floor with a noisy thump. The monk was not finished though, he whacked the laughing kappa hard on the head and only then he settled back to his chair. 

"Ittai…" Goku, Gojyo and Kazo rose up and clutched their throbbing heads. The rubbed the new formed lumps and glared at Sanzo with a pout. The latter monk held out his shoureijuu, freezing them at instant. "Ch! Namaguza bouzu…" they whispered softly.

Hakkai and Aiko sighed out of relief. Aiko walked toward Yumi and Hakkai settled himself next to Sanzo. "Arigatou na Sanzo?" he wished at the lowest pitch of his voice. Sanzo replied with a harsh humph. 

Hakkai smiled. 

"What's your plan after this Yumi-san?" Aiko sunk herself on the bed, next to Yumi. The golden haired mother is weaving a wool band. Yumi put down her task and looked at Aiko. She heaved her breath silently. 

"I guess, I'll settle down with my son and raised him somewhere outside the town" Yumi answered, not knowing if she made the right decision. "I was born and breed here and I don't have anywhere else to go" she said with a smile. There's no sign showing that she'll regret her decision later. 

"Souka…" Aiko nodded. 

"After all… this place brings a lot of memories of me and my husband, Keiro's father" Yumi glanced at her son in Aiko's cradle. Dai did remind her of her husband. The baby bore much resemblance to his father despite of his age. She caressed the baby's cheek softly. The baby flailed his chubby arms frantically at Goku and Kazo who were pinching and tickling his face. "I still have my father's mansion… I ran away from there to save my baby, so I just need to go back to the mansion and settled down" Yumi smiled at seeing her baby laughed in glee while playing with Goku and Kazo. 

Aiko stood silent at that idea. She doesn't really favor Yumi's plan since her baby was somewhat extraordinary. The young mother could never live peacefully without any special protection. As long as the baby lived, a lot of people who wanted to take advantage of Dai being a heretic would come hunting for them. After all, the baby was a cross breed of kami and human. 

"Aiko?" Yumi called out softly. She realized that the latter girl was so quiet when she told her the plan. 

"I don't know about this Yumi-san… I mean your baby was a son of a kami" Aiko expressed her concern. "There's no way you can run away from bad guys who want to take advantage of Dai's ability" Aiko's remark made the three elders of the ikkou turned their heads toward her. 

Sanzo, Hakkai and Gojyo kept listening. They knew that the baby was somewhat different, but they didn't know in what aspect. His eyes were different in colors and the colors were the same as Homura's. 

"You see… Dai got this different eye colors, golden and blue" Aiko tried to explain in a simple way. "And as long as he got that difference… people would know that he's different and trust me they will do anything just to get him" she added, planting a kiss on the baby's head. 

Yumi looked at her baby. Yes! Keiro's eyes were different in colors. "But why?" 

"The difference showed that Dai was a cross-breed between human and kami… not many people know what that means but those who knew would turn out to be people with some kind of powerful knowledge and power" Aiko continued. "I don't mean to scare you Yumi-san… but the consequences of raising Dai on your own would be fatal" Aiko finished her explanation with that sentence, almost a warning for Yumi. 

Yumi gaped at that warning. She never knew how dangerous it would be having a son with a kami. 

The elders of the men stood silent. 'Then Homura was a cross breed of human and kami?' 

"You're right… even Tenkai never consider a heretic" suddenly two figures appeared in front of them. A raven black haired lady and a gray haired old man with a funny moustache stood in the middle of the room. They appeared from a swirling dust that gleamed when it was shone by sunlight. 

"Ch! K'so" Sanzo and Aiko cursed at instant, all together at the same time. 

"Kanzeon Bosatsu?!" Hakkai exclaimed, much to Yumi's amazement. This is her first encounter with the so-called Goddess of Mercy. Gojyo stepped away from the celestial being. He liked being kissed passionately by the Goddess but he didn't like the idea of losing half of his blood when they locked lips. The last time they met, he lost a lot of blood after being kissed by the megumi-sama. 

Yumi kneeled before the megumi-sama, bowing her head respectfully. The 'merciful' Goddess of Mercy held her shoulders and pulled her up softly. "You've being blessed with the baby but like Akina…ops! Shimatta! Aiko had said… There are terrible consequences of raising him up all alone" Kanzeon repeated the girl's explanation. 

"Then… what you should I do Kanzeon Bosatsu-sama?" Yumi's eyes drenched with tears. "I'm willing to die for my baby but I won't give him away" she pled. She took her baby and cuddled him lovingly. 

Kanzeon Bosatsu smiled. "Except you, me and all in here… no one knew he's a cross breed between human and kami and the fact that he probably possesses some kind of extraordinary power" she put one hand on Dai's head and caressed it softly. "But people who wide knowledge and power would find it out by the differences of his eye colors" She swept the baby face, almost lovingly.

"No one would know if he had blue eyes like this" Kanzeon Bosatsu lifted her hand from Dai's face and revealed the baby's eyes. The golden color of the baby's eye had already changed into blue. Both of his eyes were blue in color, just like Aiko's. 

The rest of the people in the room gawked at seeing the event before them. The megumi-sama had changed the baby's eyes color. Now, the sign of taboo has completely vanished from the little being's face. 

Kanzeon smirked. "I've concealed his golden eye… the true color would only emerged when he reached the age of eighteen" she explained and giggled when Dai sucked her forefinger. Yumi's eyes widened with fear at seeing her son's act. She quickly grabbed Dai away and released Kanzeon's finger from his mouth. 

"Gomen nasai!" she apologized. 

Kanzeon chuckled as she waved her hand frantically in front of her face. "Nande monai" She glanced at Sanzo and his companions. The megumi opened up her arms wide and walked toward Sanzo. "Konzen...!" 

Jiroushin slapped his head in disbelief. 'She's doing it again!'

"K'so yarou!" Sanzo muttered as he held out his shoureijuu. "Don't you dare!" Sanzo warned and pointed the shoureijuu toward the darting megumi. Kanzeon Bosatsu ignored the threat since she knew the bullet wouldn't do any harm upon her. She caught Sanzo's face in her palm and kissed the latter's cheek lovingly. 

"K'so!" Sanzo smacked Kanzeon's hand away and rubbed the lipstick mark on his cheek with his oversized sleeve. Kanzeon laughed cheekily and suddenly turned her gaze at the sapphire-eyed girl stood by the window. 

"Akina!" She called as she headed toward Aiko, again her arms spread opened. 

Aiko sweat dropped. She looked over her shoulder, to the window behind her. Aiko almost decided to jump off the window when Kanzeon Bosatsu caught her by her shoulders and pulled her into a tight embrace. 

Sanzo, Hakkai, Gojyo and Goku jaw dropped at seeing that prestigious moment. They recalled that megumi-sama calling them Konzen, Tenpou, and Kenren but they never heard the name Akina being mentioned before. 'This old hag probably has a list of different name for every being on earth'

Aiko struggled furiously to let go from Kanzeon's hug. She cursed as she tried dodging the latter's kisses from reaching her face. Words that would surely 'expanse' Goku and Kazo's vocabulary came out from her mouth repeatedly. 

"Ma…ma… Aiko is worse than Sanzo when it comes to receive a kiss from the megumi-sama" Hakkai shook his head with disbelief. 'So, this is the woman Kazo was saying about before'

Finally, Aiko surrendered. She let that old hag kissed her right on her cheek, at the same spot where she had kissed Sanzo. Kanzeon laughed and released the girl from her embrace. Aiko backed away at instant and rubbed her cheek where the megumi had planted a kiss with the back of her palm. She rubbed it like her skin almost came off. Kanzeon looked at her with a devilish smirk, making her ran away and hid behind Hakkai.

Hakkai laughed amusingly. Now he had two persons to protect from the megumi. First, Gojyo seek for protection by clinging to his arm and now Aiko seek for a hiding right at his back. 

"Yare…yare Tenpou, looked like you have a lot of people to protect from me ne?" Kanzeon smirked. She waved her hand at the direction of the emerald-eyed man and laughed. "Never mind… they were always under your protection anyway" the images of Akina and Tenpou hugging each other in the meadow flashed before her eyes. 'So romantic…'

Kanzeon turned around to Jiroushin. "Well Jiroushin… I'm finished, let's go back to that boring place right away" she ordered. 

"Kanzeon Bosatsu?" Jiroushin was not in favor of having his master insulting Tenkai. 

Kanzeon smirked for the umpteenth times. "Soreja Konzen, Akina" she waved goodbye before teleporting away from the room. 

"Ch!" Sanzo is still wiping the red stain on his cheek, which is so reluctant to come off. 

"I hate that kusobaba" Aiko exclaimed, swinging her fist frantically on air. She looked at Yumi. The young mother cuddled her baby lovingly in her arms. Aiko's smile returned to her face. Now she knows the pair would be save. She hated that Goddess of Mercy for kissing her every time they met but then she thanked her for helping Yumi and her baby.

Gojyo walked closer to Yumi. "Now you don't have to worry a thing" he reassured as he reached out a hand for the golden haired lady. Yumi looked up to him and smiled. She nodded and took Gojyo's hand in hers and let herself being pulled upright by the latter. 

"So… Aiko and Hakkai never made a baby?" Goku's voice rang out at sudden, popping out a vein on Sanzo's forehead and making Hakkai and Aiko blushed with embarrassment. His silly question made Gojyo and Yumi burst into uncontrollable laughters. 

Sanzo reached for his harisen and down it went, whacking the daylight out of the saru. 

It took ten minutes for Goku to revive from Sanzo's whack. 

************************** 

"Take a good care of Dai" Aiko held Yumi's hands in hers. She landed a peck on Dai's cheek and ruffled the baby's hair. Tears almost fall down on her face, realizing the fact that she's parting away from the baby and might not be able to meet him again.

Yumi nodded. "He's my son but he's yours to Aiko-san… and you're welcome to come and visit him at anytime" Yumi assured. 

"I will" Aiko made a promise she knew she could not keep. She's not good at keeping promises. 

"You guys too can come and visit us anytime" Yumi glanced to each of the men's faces. A smile flickered upon her red lips. 

"We will someday" Hakkai smiled. He knew he would…if he ever survived the journey. Hakkai reached out a hand and pinched the baby's nose playfully. The baby returned his favor by gripping his finger with his chubby fingers.

"Arigatou minna-san for helping me and my son… I would never forget your kindness" Yumi bowed her head slightly. Suddenly, she kissed all the men on their cheek and later hugged Aiko tight. She kissed Aiko on both of her cheeks and let go off her embrace. "Arigatou!"

The men gawped at the reward they had just received. Only Sanzo turned his face the other way around, blushing severely by the kiss. Gojyo smirked devilishly at seeing Sanzo's face. 

Yumi bent down before Goku and Kazo and presented each of them a motherly liked kisses on their forehead. She ruffled their hairs and let them played for one last time with her baby that they were so used to call Dai. The latter two cried sadly as they kissed the baby continuously. Even Dai's face turned bitter, as if he too feels sad at parting with the ikkou.

Goku and Kazo quickly hopped into the jeep. They didn't glanced for second look at the baby, fearing that they could not leave him if they did so. Aiko, Gojyo and Hakkai settled in the jeep after they waved Yumi and Dai goodbye. Sanzo, who never leave his seat on jippu turned his gaze for one last time at Yumi and Dai, then looked away again. 

"Sayonara" Yumi wished and waved goodbye when Hakkai switched on the ignition and stepped on the accelerator. The jeep moved swiftly, away from the mansion, leaving the two figures waving them goodbye.

"I'm going to miss them" Aiko said softly as she waved her hand at the fading figures. 

"Yeah!" Gojyo agreed. 

"Wah!!!" Goku and Kazo burst out into tears. 

"URUSEI!!!" Sanzo turned around abruptly and whacked the poor guys' head hard. He settled back to his seat when he completed his task. 

"He's sad too" Aiko nudged Goku's side with one elbow. She winked as the latter laughed softly, fearing that Sanzo would hear them and turned around again to present them his favorite whack. 

"Ma…ma… what a peaceful day" Hakkai voiced out his favorite line.

To be continue….

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Ayie: Wah! This fic is almost finished. I'm sad… no..no.. I can't! Or else GS-chan wouldn't be happy. I'll end this fic in the later chap, a very short chap it will be. Yah! Gomen if this fic sucks and if it bores you to death. This is my first fic and I know I made a lot of mistakes in it… please forgive me.

Sanzo: Finally… the end.

Gojyo: Oi! Mister worldly monk… this is not the end, after all ayie still planning for a sequel and a lot more fic after this.

Sanzo: URUSAI! whacked Gojyo's head with the harisen

Ayie: Ma… what a long story this fic turned out to be… I finished four other shorter fics while writing this one. Amazing that I could actually finished this…phew!! Warning… some of you might not like the ending but then… I already promised a sequel… so daijoubu da yo minna-san.  
  



	24. The Promise

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Saiyuki characters. They honorably belong to Minekura Sensei. Please don't sue me.

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Ayie: Yare…yare… this is the last chap of "Surviving Life". If there's any chap after this it would be a notice for my dear reviewers, readers and friends [All FFNEt writers are my friends]… I'm going to write a sequel but not for the time being because I'm going away and it may take some time before I could upload the sequel… but it'll come for sure… matte kudasai…^___^

Sanzo: Ch! You would never let me rest with that silly fics of yours.

Ayie: Hey! I just keeping the FFNet merry… don't blame me! 

Hakkai: Hai! We would like to thank everyone who had being so loyal to this fic and reviewed. We knew that some of the readers liked this story even though they never reviewed… don't worry we're not mad…it's you own choice. Anyway thanks a lot… you really helped us out O__^. 

Aiko: Million thanks for those who never failed to review and even encouraged us when we're feeling down… we've made a lot of new friends and we appreciated it… arigatou! flew kisses to all readers and reviewers

Gojyo: Yeah! Thanks to those who helped us with the fic… sankyu very much and we loved ya!                        Goku and Kazo: Sankyu na!!! 

All: WE LOVE YOU MINNA-SAN!!! 

********************************** 

**Final chapter – The Promise**

Goku tugged at Aiko's sleeve and looked up to the latter with dreary eyes. "Do you really have to go?" he asked solely. 

Aiko looked down to Goku with a solemn look fell upon her delicate face. She kneeled down before Goku and ruffled the boy's hair. Unwillingly, she nodded. "I have to… but I promise we'll meet again some day" she said, brushing the boy's sweaty forehead. She was not fond of having to part away with Dai and now she hated the idea of leaving Goku. 

Gojyo grunted at hearing Aiko's promise. He pulled himself from the jeep and walked toward Kazo. He grabbed the boy's neck and locked the latter's head in his arm. He brushed the boy's hair with his knuckle. "Why don't you come with us?" Gojyo asked Aiko, without even looking at her. "After all we're going the same way" he added. 

Aiko rose to her feet. She sighed heavily. The girl glanced at the horizon, where the sun was settling down. "Yes! We're heading to the west… to Tenjikou" she said softly. "But first I need to check on my uncle… and I just don't want to slow your pace" Aiko explained. It's hard for her to make the decision but she has to since she already made a promise with her uncle. 

Gojyo smirked, pretending that the latter's reply didn't affected him much. 

"Don't worry kappa… we'll meet again, after all we're heading the same direction so it's impossible that we'll never meet again" Kazo assured as he stabbed Gojyo's side with his fist. 

"Hai hai!" Gojyo laughed as he ruffled Kazo's hair. The boy returned that by tugging at his fringes. Gojyo hissed in pain. He smacked the boy's head and Kazo didn't hesitate much to kick him by his leg. "Eow!!" Gojyo hopped around on one foot. 

"Kono baka!" Gojyo cursed as he rubbed his aching leg. Then again, a faint smile flickered silently on his face. It was really hard to let go when he finally met a person who would understand his feeling of being a child of taboo and then they have to part away. He's going to be 'alone' once again.

Aiko smiled. It tore her heart apart to think about Kazo having a brother and suddenly losing him again. She knew both of the hanyous were sad to let each other go. The sapphire-eyed girl glanced down to the itan stood before her. Even she had a hard time accepting the fact that she has to leave the boy. She has being through a lot with Goku since they first met and deep inside her, a deep love grew for that young itan. In fact, the love for that boy emerged at the very time they first touch. She felt like she has ever loved that boy before and that love never dies. 

Aiko kneeled down and held Goku's thin shoulders. She pulled the boy and cuddled him tight in her embrace. Aiko kissed Goku on his cheek and later on his forehead. Tear trickled down her cheek when she hugged Goku close to her. "I love you Goku… you will always be my little honey" she whispered to his ear. 

"I love you too Aiko-nee-chan" Goku said softly. He cried on the girl's shoulder. 

Aiko smiled when she heard the word nee-chan. She let go off her embrace and rose up to her feet. "Now be strong and take a good care of yourself…" Aiko ruffled Goku's hair hastily and the latter broke up into short laughter. She bent down on her knees and looked at Goku. "Goku…please do me a favor" she said. 

Goku nodded. "Hai!"

"I know you're the strongest in this group… can you please look after Gojyo, Hakkai and Sanzo for me? Especially Hakkai and Sanzo" Aiko pulled Goku's nose playfully. 

"Oki!!" Goku chirped merrily. 

"Sankyu!!" Aiko wished. She turned her head and glanced at Hakkai and Sanzo, who were leaning against jippu. Goku went to get Kazo, to wish him goodbye. Aiko walked gracefully toward Sanzo and Hakkai, the men she loved so much. 

Aiko halted right in front of Sanzo and looked down to her feet. "You better stay alive until the day we meet again mister worldly monk" she said as she lifted her face and looked straight into the amethyst eyes of her 'brother'. 

A vein popped out on Sanzo's forehead. He was going to reach for his harisen when Aiko rewarded him a kiss on his cheek. Sanzo was flabbergasted. He looked to the girl and said nothing. Suddenly the girl wrapped him in her arms and sunk her face to his torso. 

"I don't want to lose you again… make sure we meet again o-nii-chan" Aiko whispered and then released the monk at instant. But then Sanzo pulled her back into his arms and hugged her tight. It only lasted for a couple of seconds, but it filled to the fullest. "Arigatou…" she smiled and set herself free from Sanzo's arms. 

Aiko glanced at Hakkai and walked toward the emerald-eyed man. She halted right in front of her loved one and smiled nervously. "Hakkai…" she said. There's a slight tremble in her voice when she mentioned the name. 

"Don't say goodbye!" Hakkai said as he suddenly pulled the girl into his arms. He sunk his face to Aiko's neck and whispered. "We'll meet again… I promised" he said. Aiko smiled quietly.  The man's arms around her waist tightened as if he doesn't want to let her go. 

"I'll be waiting…" Aiko said as she caressed the man's hair. "I love you Hakkai…" she returned the words back to him. Secretly, she planted a kiss on that man's cheek. 

Hakkai released her from his arms and stared at the girl's face. He wanted to look at the girl to make sure he won't miss that face so much when they parted away. Aiko smiled and he smiled back. Aiko looked at Nimmiku.

"Nimmi… time to go" she said. 

Nimmiku looked at jippu and the jeep suddenly turned into its biological form. Harkuryuu flew and landed before Nimmiku. They snuggled each other's necks and cooed lovingly. There's a sad tone on their coos. May be they are reluctant to part away, but they know they have to. Nimmiku and Harkuryuu nuzzled each other's nose and released a long soft coo before Nimmiku transformed into a Harley Davidson and Harkuryuu back into jippu. 

"Kyu!" they both cooed for one last time, probably saying goodbye. 

Aiko looked back to Kazo, who was saying goodbye to Gojyo and Goku. 

"We'll meet again kappa and don't' you dare finished up my lunch like last time" Kazo warned. 

"Hai hai!" Gojyo nodded with a sneer. Suddenly, he flung an arm around Kazo's shoulder and hugged the boy, then released him at instant. "Take care!" he said as he walked away to jippu.

"Ch!" Kazo grunted before a smile appeared on his lips. He looked to Goku. "Goku… you are the best friend I ever had… promised me by the time we meet again we'll play and fight together again" he held out a pinkie and the mentioned boy locked it with his own. 

"I promise" Goku chirped. They laughed together for once and hugged each other. Then, they ran toward Aiko and the elder men. 

Kazo stood before Sanzo. "Well… Sanzo-sama, take care" Kazo wished and he had to dodge Sanzo's harisen soon after that. He laughed merrily as he dash toward Hakkai. "Hakkai… promise me that you'll propose to my sister when we meet again"

Hakkai chuckled edgily and rubbed the back of his head with one hand. "Yare…yare desune" he chirped nervously. Hakkai pulled the boy into his arms and hugged him. "You take care of your sister and my future wife" he whispered.

"Oki… take care of yourself too" Kazo said before darting toward Aiko and Nimmiku. Aiko helped him with fastening the safety belt on her helmet and the boy hopped up to the bike. Aiko looked back to the ikkou and sat on the biker's seat. 

"Aiko!" Hakkai called out at sudden. The girl turned and glanced over her shoulder. Hakkai was running toward her. He halted next to her. "Your safety helmet was not fastened" he said as his hands went up to Aiko's helmet, fastening the belt under the girl's chin.

"Uh…Gomen!" Aiko chuckled nervously. Suddenly, the man's hand crept up to her cheek and it lifted her face, facing up to him. Out of the blue, the man sunk his lips on hers and they kissed passionately for several minutes. 

"Yada yada!" Gojyo smirked. 

"Ch!" Sanzo grunted as he turned his gaze away with a tiny flush on red on his face. 

"Yoshi!!" Goku and Kazo yelped with joy. Now, they know that they will surely meet again. 

Hakkai and Aiko remained in their position for quite some before disengaging. Before they let go off each other, Hakkai whispered something to Aiko's ear, making the latter blushed furiously. Hakkai smiled and Aiko wasted no more time to switch on the ignition. The bike gave a loud broom when she squeezed on the handle. 

"Jaa…" Kazo waved goodbye when her sister still lost of words by Hakkai's whisper. Aiko didn't look back no more since she's still blushing at Hakkai's words. The bike slowly sleds away from the place and disappeared into the horizon.

The ikkou, now back to four hopped in the jeep. They have a journey to continue and a mission to embark. They have no time to waste. 

"Hakkai… what have you said to Aiko to cause her blushing like that?" Gojyo asked, being his hentai self. 

Hakkai switched on the ignition and stirred the gear before stepping on the pedal. The engine roared before the jeep sled swiftly to the road. "It's a promise" Hakkai smiled. It's a secret and only he and Aiko knew what it is. 

"Ch!" Gojyo grunted. 

********************************** 

Aiko smiled quietly when she remembered Hakkai's last words, which are a promise. 

"Aiko… what did Hakkai told you before we left?" Kazo asked from the back. 

"It's a promise" she replied with a smile, much to Kazo's dissaproval. 'A promise we made and will be kept until the day we meet again'

The Harley Davidson moved smoothly on the road heading to the west as the red orb slowly submerged beyond the horizon. The day slowly gave way to the night.

~Owari~

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Ayie: Wanna know what promise Hakkai made to Aiko? Wait for the sequel ne Smiled devilishly and in the sequel… I won't be good anymore.

Hakkai and Aiko: Yare…yare…

All: That's all for now! Thanks for reading and reviewing. Till we meet again… good luck to all writers of FFNet!! Ganbatte!


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